For Better or Worse
by colinamilly
Summary: Neji finds that choosing between the love of your life and family obligations can be very hard, especially if there is a fiancee involved, and the said family would cut you off in an instant. Sasuke trusts no one but his brother and now Neji...NejixSasu
1. Chapter 1

For Better or Worse

Part 1

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words '

**NOTE: I have decided to edit/re-write this story. Not everything is going to change, but just a few things to suit the direction of which I have decided to take this plot to. Some of you have already read part of this story. So if you don't want to bother going all over it again that's fine. And if you have any questions just drop me a line and I will try my best to answer it.**

**For those reading it for the first time, this story is set in the same world as my other story titled DADDY LEFT US an Itanaru, if you are interested. . Neji and Sasuke are featured in that story.**

**You don't have to read it to understand this story. The only thing I can point out is that some situations in the story that are the same as in DADDY LEFT US are in different character's perspective. This is mainly Sasuke and Itachi. For example, if something happened that affected both Itachi and Sasuke in DADDY LEFT US, it would be in Itachi's perspective in that story and in this story For Better or Worse; it would be in Sasuke's perspective**

**

* * *

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How does one know that they are in love? Are there bells to signal that you are in love? Is there such a thing as love at first sight? Is there such a thing as fate? Or better yet, do you believe in fate? Some say fate controls our destinies… and the most important of all is, do you believe in second chances?

* * *

Neji glanced in the mirror for a final check; he wanted to look his best for his job interview. Most of all, he wanted to look good for the one person who had managed to steal his heart at first sight. After all, that person was the reason he had decided to apply to that company. Besides that, that person was part of the reason he had had to start from scratch with his life…

Neji wore a brown suit with a white shirt and a white tie. Black shoes complemented the look effortlessly. His long dark brown hair was in a loose but smart tie at the back. He looked like he'd just sauntered out of those romance movies.

He picked up all the documents required for the interview. He made his way out of his apartment. The apartment was homely; after what had gone on with his family… Neji had found an apartment away from his family's mansion. It was far enough for him not to bump into them when he needn't to. But also close enough that he could get there if he was needed. Even though he didn't speak with his family; to be specific, his uncle, he still had responsibilities. Well hopefully this job would be permanent, and then he would settle down and fulfil his responsibilities without bothering his cousins.

His apartment had a single bedroom, a bathroom which accommodated a bathtub and a shower cubical. A toilet was separated from the bathroom. He had a living room with a cream corner sofa and a coffee table in between the sofa and an average sized flat screen TV. The cream sofa wasn't hard to maintain since he had no children to worry about them jumping on them with their little dirty feet or them dropping ice cream on it. Next to the living room was a room which had one section a kitchen and the other a dining area.

He walked to his black Mercedes. And he started off to the interview.

This was not his first job. After graduating high school, Neji had worked as a bodyguard for a while just to rebuild his life's foundation after being disowned by his family…

* * *

Neji parked his car and got out. He looked up at the large tall building. He was terribly nervous for various reasons. However, the interview was not one of the reasons. Neji had already had the main interview a day before. His interviewer had been Uchiha Itachi. Uchiha Itachi had been the one holding the interview because he was the main president and his little brother was just starting out in the business hence the interview. The younger Uchiha had just been given authority for part of the Uchiha business so he was in great need of an assistant.

Neji had been successful in his interview. Nonetheless he had been told that he would get his job after having a brief informal chat with the younger Uchiha. Guess that was fair considering how things had gone in the past.

So here he was, in front of the building that contained one of the rooms which had the younger Uchiha by the name of Uchiha Sasuke. He began questioning his decision of applying to the Uchiha business.

_Maybe I should just turn around right now._ He thought.

His heart was beating furiously with anticipation and fear of what would occur if he were to go into the building. He badly wanted to see the one person who had hunted him for the past four years. He couldn't take it anymore. He had heard on the TV that the younger Uchiha was back in Japan from where ever he had disappeared to for four years. Despite knowing that Sasuke was back, Neji had no idea how things would go between them; he didn't know how to approach Sasuke. Then as if guided by some great power, Neji happened upon an advertisement about the Uchiha Company recruiting for an assistant position. Neji had jumped at the opportunity.

He wondered if Sauke would accept him as his assistant after what had happened between them.

_No. this is the risk I have to take. _He encouraged himself. In any case, the worst thing that could happen was the younger Uchiha not accepting him for the job.

Neji strolled through the automatic sliding door of the building to the reception desk.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke sighed for the…well he wasn't counting how many times he had been sighing.

He had just moved out of the Uchihas' main and biggest mansion which was now his brother's to his own mansion. He had to live on his own now.

He had just come back from England two weeks ago. And Sasuke held responsible for being morose on jet lag. Did it last that long? Oh well. Just when he'd thought that things couldn't get any worse, his brother had called him last night to tell him that someone who had been successful in the interview to be his assistant was coming in to have his 'okay' to get the job.

Itachi had said something like,

"You won't have a problem making your decision since you already know this person"

Sasuke had asked to have more information on the person but Itachi had simply answered with an "even though you don't need the information now, I will send it in on the email tomorrow before the person comes."

_Well that was helpful._ Sasuke had thought dejectedly after putting the phone down. Really, his brother loved to torture him.

* * *

Sasuke placed his elbows on his office desk. He leaned his head on his intertwined hands and stared at the computer's screen. The first thing that Sasuke had done when he had walked into his office was check his emails. He had felt his stomach churn with nerves when he had realised that his brother hadn't sent the email. He had made an immediate call to his brother and his brother had responded with,

"Sasuke, in case you don't know, I am a very busy man."

And Sasuke had retorted with,

"Brother, I have to know what to expect. What if I mess up?"

To which his brother had scolded him with,

"Sasuke if you can't handle one person, then maybe it's a bit too early for you to take charge of part of the business, If you are going to depend on me all the times then I might as well not let you take charge."

That had nothing to do with Sasuke knowing more about the person before meeting them. He knew his brother was just in a bad mood, which he seemed to be in lately since he had met that person at the party. Nonetheless Sasuke still felt angry at his brother for treating him like a kid. He had cut the phone call in anger; noting to himself to apologize for it before his brother called him on it.

The person was coming any minute now, and he had no idea what to expect. Sasuke had always been bad with meeting new people. Even in high school, there was only one person who had forcefully become close to him. That one person was Hyuuga Neji.

He shook his head to rid his mind of the memories which that name triggered.

Hyuuga Neji.

Sasuke was glad they never met again after their high school graduation party. What had happened that night was something Sasuke had deemed it "of which you never speak of" as long as he never meets him again that is.

Sasuke almost jumped out of his desk chair when the phone rang. He had been utterly immersed in the thoughts that he so much refused to acknowledge about the night of his high school graduation. The phone had snapped him out of it.

He wasn't certain whether to thank the phone call for the disruption of his unwanted reminiscing or be frightened of the call. That call meant the person he was supposed to meet was here; the person who his brother had said he already knew.

Who could it be?

To have the answer to that he had to answer that phone call.

"Uchiha-san, you have a guest." said a voice of the receptionist on the other side of the phone.

"Send them up to my office." Sasuke replied and set the phone back down.

He began a countdown in his mind. Childish as it was, Sasuke couldn't help himself.

* * *

The elevator dinged, signalling his last stop. He walked out of the elevator and headed for the younger Uchiha's office; he had been given directions by the pink haired receptionist.

_Was that hair natural?_

Neji shook his head; the pink hair issue was not his biggest priority at that moment. He was about to see the person he had been longing for, for the past four years.

He was at the door.

* * *

Sasuke's mental countdown was cut short by a knock on the door to his office. He sighed and responded with a,

"Come in."

The moment the door opened Sasuke felt like time stood still.

"Hello Sasuke. Long-time no see." Neji greeted him in a husky bedroom voice. Well it was similar to what he could recall; not that it was hard to.

_No way._ Was the only thought that popped in his mind.

**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

For Better or Worse

Part 2

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words etc.'

Sasuke felt his world crumble into a dark abyss. The one person he had prayed for the past four years to never meet again was in front of him.

_Why? _

Why was this happening to him? Why was Neji here? Did he come back to humiliate him once more?

Sasuke wanted to scream at Neji, but words refused to mould on his tongue. The mixed emotions he felt at that moment towards Neji were indescribable. He wanted to inflict pain on Neji; to make him feel the humiliation he had gone through that night.

Despite bearing the feeling of hatred for Neji, Sasuke felt faint warmth of happiness to see his old friend/lover again.

Wait… happiness? Why was he feeling happy upon seeing Neji again? He was supposed to be angry damn it!

_No. I am not happy to see him. I don't want to see him. I am not happy to see him. I am not happy to see him…no way._ Sasuke tried to convince himself. He was filled with confusion. His own emotions made him nervous.

Neji sat silently in the office chair facing Sasuke's mahogany desk. Maybe he had come on too strong considering how they had parted in high school.

_Or maybe the whole thing of coming here was a mistake._ Neji thought.

Sasuke had looked displeased to see him, if the expression of dread he had had on earlier was anything to go by. Even though Sasuke had looked affected by his greeting, Neji was uncertain whether it was positively or negatively.

Neji felt anxious; although he had readied himself for any negative reaction he was to receive from Sasuke, it hurt nonetheless.

He had very much expected Sasuke to still be angry at him from high school. But his heart hadn't been as ready as he had thought it.

The way Sasuke had reacted had made his heart heavy and empty all together. He felt the little confidence he had built up just to greet Sasuke, fade with each tick of the clock.

What was he going to do now if Sasuke says no to hire him?

Well, he didn't come here to just give up! He was going to work hard to earn Sasuke's trust again. No matter how long it was going to take, he was going to wait for Sasuke, just as he had done in high school. And for the four years after.

Neji and Sasuke loved silence. However the loud silence that was in the room was distressing for both of them. Despite the awkwardness that the silence between them brought, none of them appeared to have anything to say, or rather, they had no idea where to begin.

Neji's mind seemed to have gone on a strike because he couldn't remember what he had planned to do upon meeting Sasuke again. He rummaged around his mind for anything, anything to break the silence in the room. Nothing.

Sasuke wasn't doing well either; he wanted to say something outside work, anything that someone would say after meeting their old friend again. But nothing came to mind.

Damn it. Why was Neji not saying anything? Back in high school, Neji was always the one to start a conversation whenever they found themselves in an awkward situation.

_Say something Neji. _Begged Sasuke in his mind. Even thought he had told himself that he never wanted to see Neji again, he had to admit, he was sort of happy to see him after so long.

"So" Neji broke the silence.

"So?" questioned Sasuke.

"So I will be working for you." Neji said it more as a statement than a question.

"Do you have a problem with that?" questioned Sasuke irritated. Inspite of that, he felt like smiling. It made him happy that Neji had broken the silence just like in high school.

"Not at all, it's just that I never imagined working for you after what had happened." Sasuke winced at that; that annoyed Neji. What? So the Uchiha was planning to pretend that nothing had changed between them since that night?

"You know I still have to make a decision about accepting you." Sasuke said coldly. His mood had suddenly darkened from what Neji had just said.

"I know." Neji responded shortly.

'Accepting you' the words cut his heart mercilessly. Even though he knew Sasuke had meant accepting him for the job, to Neji it had meant accepting him to be by Sasuke's side.

"I will be a moment." Sasuke suddenly excused himself and rashly walked out of the office; he hadn't meant to sound so cold. But by Neji just mentioning what had happened between them, Sasuke had felt his heart beat quicken. His heart had been beating fast already since the moment Neji had walked in and had greeted him with that voice that had been haunting his every dream for the past four years.

Damn. Sasuke cursed himself. He couldn't believe he had fallen under the spell again; Neji's spell. Just hearing his voice had sent his whole body into frenzy that he hadn't been able to tear his eyes away from the Hyuuga. What made him feel even worse was that, after four years of training himself to never react in any way towards the Hyuuga, he had lost his cool, and easily so.

* * *

With a reinforced determination, Neji sat in the chair comfortably waiting for Sasuke. His eyes wandered around the office.

The room had a book shelf which occupied one wall of the room and just in front of it were two blue sofas; one a two sitter and the other a three sitter. The chairs formed an incomplete semi-circle around a coffee table and they were facing towards the full window which gave a view of the busy city.

Just on the left of the window was the office desk.

The wooden polished floor that matched the mahogany desk made the blue chairs stand out.

* * *

Sasuke matched to the men's room, he felt so hot and his tie felt so constricting. He walked in and opened one of the taps and splashed some cold water onto his face.

This couldn't be happening. Why was Neji here? Tsk. how silly. The answer to that was clearly that Neji had passed the interview. But would Neji be happy to work for him? Speaking of work, why was Neji looking for work here?

Would they keep their high school years as a bygone?

_What does he want here? Surely he is not here for work. Come on, he is supposed to be the heir of the Hyuugas. Maybe there is a mistake. What is my brother playing at?_

Sasuke remembered that his brother was the one who had said yes to Neji. So if Sasuke were to say no, it would not end well with his brother despite the 'okay' he was supposed to give for the person to take the job completely. Itachi would say he was not ready for the responsibility of the company. Besides it would be utterly unprofessional which his pride didn't allow.

Sasuke really didn't know what to do. But standing in the toilets wasn't going to solve anything.

So he decided to go back; not that he had a choice in the first place. He wiped his face with a handkerchief and walked back to his office.

Just how was he supposed to act around the Hyuuga?

Okay this was not good. Seriously besides his brother, Sasuke had a feeling someone was enjoying torturing him.

He decided to handle the situation just like his brother would. First of all, he needed to set his heart which threatened to leap out of his chest at ease. The confusion that the situation brought was too much; never mind the name 'Hyuuga Neji' triggered some unwanted memories; now the owner of the name sat right in front of him. If this was supposed to be fate then Sasuke didn't like it at all.

* * *

He sat in the desk chair and glanced at the silent Hyuuga briefly.

"Okay," Sasuke began, to get Neji's attention.

"You've already passed the interview with my brother so I don't see why I should say no when he chose you. I know I can trust you Hyuuga. Don't make me regret my decision." Warned Sasuke.

"You won't regret it." Neji answered shortly.

He gave himself some credit for keeping his voice so neutral because his heart wasn't on the same wavelength as his voice; he could hear every beat of his heart resounding in his ears loudly like drums. He felt faint despite the frontage he was putting on. Here was Sasuke, after what? Four years? Four years of separation and his heart still ached so much with not a single sign of the pain diminishing.

"Okay then you start on Monday-" Sasuke was cut short by the ringing of the phone on his desk.

"Yes?" he answered it.

"Uchiha-san, there is a call for you." The voice of the receptionist said through the phone.

"Is it very urgent? Because I am busy right now. Get their number and I will get back to them." He instructed.

"Yes sir." The receptionist responded.

After disconnecting the call, Sasuke looked up at Neji, but before he could say anything Neji spoke:

"I will be taking my leave if you are busy. We are done here right?"

"No. I mean, I can get back to whom ever called later, it's not like I'm expecting any important calls. So it's fine." Sasuke felt like punching himself; why was he so keen on having Neji stay longer in the office even though they had finished talking about work?

"No its fine, I will see you on Monday then." Neji said and made for the door.

"Alright." Sasuke answered.

Neji was about to open the door when…

"Hyuuga," called Sasuke.

"Yes."

"It's…its nice seeing you again." Said Sasuke honestly with his eyes looking anywhere but the Hyuuga.

Neji felt heat rush throughout his body him. He was happy; he was glad that Sasuke didn't hate him as much as he had thought, though the form name was a bit unsettling for him. He smiled and opened the door.

"Sasuke, do you want to go for dinner later? That is if you don't have any plans." He asked suddenly.

"Dinner? Why?" Sasuke was surprised at that. No, he was shocked at how his heart had begun beating fast again at Neji's request; he fought the heat that was rushing to his cheeks.

"You know, so we can catch up with each other and of courses to develop a work relationship."

"Okay." Sasuke said and smiled warmly.

"Oh and Hyuuga,"

"What is it?"

"That's Uchiha-san to you." He smirked.

Neji noticed the smirk and decided to ignore Sasuke's correction just to spite him.

"Great, I will pick you up at seven." He smirked back and closed the door before he could have a reaction from Sasuke.

* * *

_Sigh. Things have gone well so far. And I am even taking him out to dinner, though it is under the pretence that it is a business dinner. But that is the only way I knew he would agree to it. Anyway, maybe there is a possibility for a second chance. _Neji thought as he walked towards his car.

* * *

Sasuke sunk further into his seat.

_Why do I feel like I have been tricked? Pick me up? I am not a woman for him to be gentlemanly with. Sigh. Why do I feel like I have signed on to something that I won't be able to get out of? Tsk, maybe I am just thinking too much on this, it's just dinner. Besides Neji said it himself that it was for work. But can I trust him? Oh well, if he tries something again, I will make sure to hold down my ground this time._ Sasuke thought.

With that sorted, he proceeded to returning that phone call.

* * *

At dinner, they had spoken about their working together and as if on an agreement they had completely avoided any topic regarding their high school time.

The evening had gone on quite well to put it simply.

Well, that is until Neji decided to confront Sasuke about what had happened in high school. To which Sasuke had responded negatively.

* * *

Neji stopped the car in front of Sasuke's mansion's door. After Sasuke had put off Neji's confrontations, they had driven in silence. But that didn't mean that Neji was satisfied with the response, quite on the contrary.

So before Sasuke could open the door of the car, Neji asked:

"Come on Sasuke, you are planning to just ignore what had happened then? Just like that? Why?"

"That is none of your business. Your business is to make sure that you don't make me regret making you my assistant. And don't you think it's best to pretend that nothing had changed between us? I'm sure that would make both of our lives a lot easier. We are grown-ups now. What had happened then was just between two hormone ridden high school kids. Just to prove that we are not going to have any problems between us, let's test this out."

Sasuke leaned towards Neji and planted a chaste kiss on Neji's lips.

Neji let go of the steering wheel and reached for the back of Sasuke's head and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. He nibbled on Sasuke's bottom lip and licked it gently.

Sasuke gasped and Neji took the opportunity to insert his tongue in Sasuke's wet mouth. He sucked on Sasuke's tongue.

Sasuke moaned into the kiss, just the reaction Neji had wanted. His hands desperately reached for Neji's shirt. He felt the need to hold Neji in place; it was as if, if he were not to hold him down, he would disappear.

Neji pulled away and observed a mess that was Sasuke; he felt a sense of satisfaction from making Sasuke look so ravished.

Nevertheless, the self-gratification was short lived when Sasuke spoke.

"So? Anything?" Sasuke asked, completely composed as if nothing had just taken place.

"No... nothing..." responded Neji; that was a lie but if staying by Sasuke's side meant living a lie, then he was going to do it, that was a little sacrifice he could give. The response pierced him as if it were not his own.

"How about you?" he was obliged to ask in spite of foreseeing the answer.

"None." Was the forthright answer form Sasuke. He got out of the car and walked to his door without another word.

**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

For Better or Worse

Part 3

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words etc.'

Neji watched as Sasuke opened his door and closed it behind him. He sighed and drove off to his place.

When he got to his place, he made for the bed immediately. The heaviness in his heart was not fading. What was Sasuke thinking? What was going to happen on Monday? And how was he going to face Sasuke? All these questions kept running in his head again and again until sleep took him.

Neji was scared of how Sasuke was going to act even though he was quite uncertain of how Sasuke was going to act when they meet at work on Monday. Was he going to act as if nothing had happened? Again?

* * *

The depressing weekend was soon over and so it was Monday morning.

Neji got out of his car and walked towards the entrance to the building; now his work place. At the reception desk, he was greeted by the pink haired receptionist who had welcomed him the first time he had been here. With all that had been on his mind that first time, he had completely forgotten about her even her unusual hair colour; it made him wonder how he could have forgotten about that.

"Good morning Hyuuga-san." She greeted cheerily.

_Oh, so she already knows my name._ He thought.

"Good morning…" _oh great I don't know her name._

"Haruno Sakura. My name is Haruno Sakura." She provided helpfully.

"Right. Good morning Haruno san." _So her name is literal to her hair colour; pink like the spring cherry blossoms._

"Please, just Sakura is fine. Haruno makes me feel like my mother." She giggled while twirling the pen she had between her fingers.

"I see, well then Sakura-san, you can just call me Neji." He said and walked away.

If he had stayed a minute longer, he would have noticed love hearts replacing the irises of the young lady and her pale cheeks swapped to rosy ones; she was falling. Hopefully not too deeply.

As he retraced his footsteps from the last time he had been here, to Sasuke's office, he felt his feet become weaker with each step he took. Why was he feeling worse than the last time he was here? Well because this time he had an inkling of what was to come…

* * *

Sasuke sat in his desk chair waiting for Neji. Speaking of whom, last Friday hadn't gone well; he had nearly given in into temptation. Neji had gotten him by surprise. Guess it was his own fault for starting it.

'Just to prove that we are not going to have any problems between us, let's test this out.'

God! What was he thinking? He should have known that Neji would have reacted the way he did. Heck anyone would have reacted in any way possible.

The way Neji had kissed him had put him on the edge the whole weekend. The familiar taste of Neji's lips had him wanting more. The sudden electrifying rush of desire throughout his body had filled him with desperation that without realising it, he had clung onto Neji's shirt shamelessly.

Damn it that guy still annoyed him like hell!

It had been a shock that he could still react that way towards the bastard. That is why he had walked out of the car the way he had done. He had no idea what to say to Neji. What if the bastard was here just to see him lose his cool again? Sasuke was not going to let that happen. The answer 'None' to Neji's question had formed on his tongue without much thought.

Sasuke had made mind his up over the weekend on how to act towards Neji.

His brother hadn't contacted him all weekend. It was as if he knew something between Sasuke and Neji.

Did he?

* * *

What had really happened between them in high school? Better yet what had really happened that night at their graduation ball?

High school.

Young love.

Shouldn't that say it all?

High school, a place where old friendships are rekindled and new ones are kindled; where old love is carried on or reawakened.

It is an initiation headquarters for young love; A place where heartbreak is not a scarce case.

Like falling under a spell, love comes without knocking; along with it joy, heartbreak and whatever that love hauls along with it.

Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke had fallen under the spell right at the moment they had met. Despite that, they had had no idea. Hence the emotion roller coaster they had gone through.

Neji sat on one of the chairs in the headmaster's office; Sarutobi-sensei. Across from him sat a dark haired boy dressed in the school uniform. A pretty boy. The boy looked bored out of his mind. It was as if the sensei wasn't even there. He looked like one of those rich brats.

"Neji-kun, I have called you here because we have a new student joining us today. This is Uchiha Sasuke. He will be in all of your classes. I put him in your care. Because you are the school president, you know more about the school than anyone."

"Sensei, you give me too much credit." He said with forged modesty while looking at the Uchiha pointedly. To establish his power to the Uchiha.

Just from that, Sasuke decided he didn't like this guy at all. His arrogance didn't sit well with Sasuke.

Neji led the way out of the office. Sasuke walked about two steps behind him. Noticing this, Neji slowed to Sasuke's pace, utterly oblivious to Sasuke's need to distance himself from him.

"So you are the Uchiha. Even though I have heard that your older brother came to this school, I never could have imagined the little brother coming here too." he said this as if just the name Uchiha gave him a bitter taste on his tongue.

Sasuke just ignored him. Neji felt inferior to him; it made him furious. Who did this Uchiha think he is, just because he was a rich kid didn't mean that he could look down on everyone? Never mind that that was exactly what he himself was doing to Sasuke.

_Damn it! No one ignores me! Even the teachers! I hate rich brats. I will show him who is boss around here._ Neji thought bitterly.

"What is a rich brat doing here anyway! Tired of the rich kids' schools? You think you can just waltz here and expect everyone to bow down to you just because your family funds this school! You Uchiha's are despicable!"

"hn." that was Sasuke's response as he carried on walking. It wasn't the first time that someone started a fight with him because of his family name. So it didn't faze him the least bit.

Really now, right on his first day he had to encounter such a person? How annoying.

"You don't belong here!" Neji said brutally.

_This is so annoying. Brother is sure going to kill me for this. But come on now, even I got better self-control than him. He would have killed the guy on the first comment. Oh well…_

Thought Sasuke as he turned around and landed a punch right onto Neji's cheek followed by a double knee kick to the stomach.

Neji tumbled to the floor onto his knees while clutching his stomach. He felt dizzy and his eyes were becoming heavy suddenly. He distantly heard his culprit's voice say:

"I'm not here to make friends with anyone nor am I here to prove anything to anyone. Belong or don't belong, I don't care. Just remember this; I hate annoying people like you."

Sasuke reached for his knocked out victim and slung him on his shoulder and made for the Nurse's office; thank god he knew where he was headed; Itachi had given him the school tour a week before.

Seriously, Sasuke didn't like this guy.

He reached the Nurse's office and irritably, he twisted the door knob and walked in. The nurse wasn't in. so Sasuke laid Neji on one of the beds and found the right materials and patched up Neji's cheek and stomach bruises.

Sasuke walked out and went to find the class for his next lesson.

It was the end of school.

* * *

It had been a long painful day to say the least; the moment Sasuke had walked into his first lesson which was history, he had felt like he had entered hell. The girls had love hearts in their eyes. And the guys… well… Sasuke didn't want to know what was cooking in their heads. But he could guess that it was nothing good from all the glares he was receiving.

Sasuke had wanted to walk back out of the classroom when he had noticed the teacher with his nose in a book. He didn't have to ask what type of book it was; there was a red stamp at the front of the book that said "mature contents"

Great. His teacher was a pervert. Speaking of perverts, his brother had a perverted acquaintance with exactly the same haircut and colour as this teacher…

_Hell no!_

"Hello Sasuke-kun. It's nice to see you again after so long. How have you been." the teacher had greeted him, all the while his face was still in the book.

_Damn it, it's him. I have a feeling brother knew that he worked here._ This guy; Hatake Kakashi, hits on practically everything that has legs.

"Kakashi-san, are you really interested to know about my life?" Sasuke forwned at the teacher.

"Mah mah, Sasuke-kun, that's Sensei to you. And I am not interested about what you have been up to while abroad."

"Sigh. 'Sensei' where can I sit?" Sasuke asked with an emphasis on 'Sensei'

"You can sit there" Kakashi had showed him his seat which he had later found out that the seat next to it belonged to none other than the student president.

Besides his history lesson's problem, every lesson had been a stroll in the park; that is if you ignore the fact that everyone had been asking where their beloved student president was. And the girls were giving him the once over.

* * *

Sasuke opened the door to the nurse's office and walked in. Like before, the nurse wasn't in; it made Sasuke wonder if she was ever in. His gaze landed on the bed he had laid his victim earlier. He sighed when he realised that the said victim was still fast asleep; maybe he had hit him a bit too hard or it could be that the guy was just tired from the start. He did look like one of those guys who work hard to please everyone.

Nevertheless, Sasuke had hoped that the bastard would have woken up by now; it was the end of school!

Sasuke sat on one of the chairs in the room facing the bed.

_What am I doing here?_ He asked himself. Well the answer to that question would be that, the guy hadn't turn up to the classes. So he had decided to check up on him; in simple terms, Sasuke felt responsible even though he still stood his ground that the bastard had it coming.

_Oh yeah, what's his name? _Sasuke realised that he didn't even know the name of his victim. Not that it mattered; he was just curious.

Suddenly, his mobile phone began ringing. Sasuke got up quickly and stood by the window looking outside to where the caller was; it was his driver, here to pick him up.

"I will be there in a moment." Sasuke said into the phone as quietly as possible so not to wake the student president.

* * *

Neji heard an unfamiliar voice in the distance. He slowly opened his eyes. Then he turned to where the voice was coming from.

"Who are you?" he blurted while sitting up from the bed.

_And where the hell am I?_

"Oh? Forgotten me already after how you had greeted me, the new student? Maybe I didn't kick you enough to make you remember your manners." Sasuke responded coolly while turning around to face the bed occupier.

"You! I will make you pay for this." Threatened Neji upon recalling what had happened for him to end up here for the first time.

"I would like to see you try." Countered Sasuke.

Neji glared at him. Sasuke glared back.

"What are you doing here?" Neji suddenly asked.

"Huh?" was Sasuke's response. Then he realised that Neji was asking about him being in the nurse's office and answered:

"You didn't turn up to all your lessons. I thought I had killed you. So I came to make sure no one finds your body." He smirked.

"You." Growled Neji. "Wait… you said all the lessons right?"

"Yeah."

"So you mean I have been in here all day! Then I have to go do my work." he said while getting up from the bed. Then he quickly sat back down, his hand clutching his middle; his stomach hurt like hell.

Sasuke just looked on. He didn't know what to say because he had never been in a situation where he had to comfort someone before.

Neji tried getting up again. This time though slowly. He walked out of the room without another word; the humiliation he felt, was enough to kill him. He couldn't believe someone had seen him in a vulnerable state. He had to get away from the bastard.

He promised himself to make the Uchiha pay for this.

Sasuke sighed and walked out of the room to his car. He was glad he hadn't hurt him that much and he just hoped that the bastard wouldn't report to the headmaster because then Sasuke would have to face his brother for causing trouble on his very first day in a new school.

* * *

The next day.

Sasuke got out of his car and he was greeted by Neji who after a while of thinking about what to do to exact his revenge on Sasuke, had come up with one thing; get close to Sasuke and find his weakness and get him when he least expects it.

"Good morning Sasu-chan." He greeted with a smile that promised hell for Sasuke.

"You. Do you want to die?" warned Sasuke. What was this idiot up to? Yesterday, he appeared to hate his guts, today he is all smiley with him?

_And the annoying nickname!_

"Oww come on, don't be so uptight. Oh by the way I forgot to introduce myself. The name is Hyuuga Neji. It's nice to meet you."

"I am not interested." Sasuke said and walked passed Neji.

"Sasu-chan wai-"

"Drop it." Growled Sasuke, pausing in his steps.

Neji was about to respond when,

"Neji-kun. What are you doing here when you are supposed to be in the meeting? Everyone is waiting in the council room." said a blonde, light blue eyed girl.

Using the disturbance as a means to shake off the Hyuuga, Sasuke began walking away.

Unexpectedly, there was a blonde clinging onto his arm.

"Sasuke-kun, it's very nice to meet you, I'm Yamanaka Ino. But you can call me Ino. So what classes do you have this morning?"

Sasuke felt like screaming to the gods; he had completely forgotten about her. She was so annoying. The day before, she had clung to him like a leech.

"Ino-chan, let go of Sasu-chan, and let's go to the meeting." Neji grabbed her by the hand and made for the student council room. However before he disappeared around the corner, he called out to Sasuke.

"I will see you in class."

_Will I have to be going through this every day from now own? _Sasuke groaned knowing the answer to that.

And so, Neji, Sasuke and Ino's school routine commenced.

Sasuke would be dropped off by car; the car which he had complained to his brother that he didn't want to use when going to school because it attracted so much attention. His brother had told him it was for his own safety. So he still came to school by car.

Neji, being the president, and Ino being the vice president meant that they would both be in the brief morning meeting in the student council room before classes.

They would meet Sasuke in the class. And at lunch time, Ino would drag Neji and Sasuke out for lunch. After school, Neji and Ino would stay for some student council duties whereas Sasuke would go to his waiting car and head home.

* * *

A week had passed with nothing suspicious happening between them. Sasuke got used to the life at school and he no longer found Neji and Ino's company annoying.

Without realising it, Sasuke grew less sceptical of Neji having ulterior motives in befriending him, considering what had happened when they had first met.

As for Neji, things became complicated. He began feeling anxious whenever he was around Sasuke. The feeling of hatred he had felt for Sasuke from the start had vanished. And the need to exact revenge on Sasuke had transformed to the need to protect him; Neji begun longing to see Sasuke smile, to see him happy. His eyes began following Sasuke's every move; be it the way his lips moved when talking or the way Sasuke carried himself when walking.

He longed to feel Sasuke's lips against his. To taste him. To careless his skin. Neji wondered how Sasuke's skin would feel against his.

He wondered what sounds Sasuke would make if he were to...

_Wait a damn minute! What am I thinking about? Sasuke is guy damn it!_

_And with my situation at home… this is not good. _Neji Screamed in his head.

He glanced at Sasuke who was sitting on a one sitter sofa across from him with a coffee table in between them. It was Friday after school and they were in the student council room. Neji had invited Sasuke to come and wait in the student council room while he was waiting for his driver to come and pick him up; the driver had rang up to say that he was going to be slightly late.

Ino had abandoned her duties to go shopping with some girls. So it was just the two of them.

Without thinking about it, Neji got up from his chair and walked to Sasuke's chair. He sat on the armrest.

What was he feeling for Sasuke? Was it just curiosity? But why Sasuke? Was it because he was cute?

Wait. Cute? Since when did he start thinking that Sasuke was cute?

"Sasuke" Neji called to get Sasuke's attention from the book he was reading.

Sasuke turned to face him when abruptly Neji was so close to his face. Before he could pull back, Neji grabbed his chin and tilted his head up. Then he pressed his lips to his.

Sasuke gasped in shock and Neji took the opportunity to slide his wet tongue into Sasuke's mouth.

Neji's mind was filled with nothing but Sasuke. The image of his fiancée quickly morphed into that of Sasuke.


	4. Chapter 4

For Better or Worse

Part 4

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words etc.

Neji pulled away from Sasuke hastily. He was shocked at what he had done. However that was not the only thing that shocked him; it was the way that Sasuke had replaced any thoughts of his fiancée that easily.

This was definitely not good. Despite that, Neji didn't want to stop the feeling that Sasuke was giving him.

The room was filled with an unbearable silence.

Neji wanted to say something. But he was afraid of what Sasuke would say back. Besides that, Neji was more afraid of losing what they had created between them; the friendship which was just beginning.

Oh wait. Wasn't it a bit too late to be thinking about that?

As for Sasuke, he was too shocked to say anything; his mind was still trying to catch up with what had just happened.

_He kissed me! Neji kissed me. _His mind was still processing this thought with no real understanding to him.

"What the hell was that!" he yelled standing up from the sofa.

"Sorry." Neji apologized sincerely.

"What! Sorry! You do that to me and your explanation is 'sorry'? You, what do you take me for?" Sasuke clenched and unclenched his fits; he was furious. Was he infuriated because Neji had kissed him and then said sorry for it? Or was it that because he didn't hate the kiss. Either way he was indignant.

"Sorry, but I can explain." Neji tried to alleviate the anger from Sasuke; he had no other explanation other than that he had fallen for him. Which he was certain would not end well if he were to say it to Sasuke.

"Stop saying sorry and explain yourself." Sasuke commanded. However his tone held no really authority. For some reason he couldn't stay mad at Neji. He sighed and sat back down.

"I guess it's just that because I will be getting married soon." Damn! He hadn't meant to say that out loud. Now what was Sasuke going to say?

"Married? What are you talking about and how is that got to do with me? In case you haven't noticed, I am a guy. And getting married is not one of my after graduation plans" Sasuke was feeling more and more confused.

_I have to get out of here. I can just pretend that nothing happened._ He knew that would be just escaping from reality. Nevertheless, he got up to leave.

"Sasuke, hold on a second!" called Neji to Sasuke who was about to open the door. He felt desperation grip at him. Sasuke was leaving. He had to stop him. Everything would be over if he let Sasuke walk out that door.

"What do you want?" Sasuke snapped.

Neji felt his heart constrict as if a rock was pressed against his chest. He gripped his shirt to ease the discomfort. Why was he feeling like this?

Neji realised that he hadn't just fallen for Sasuke. But he had lost his heart to him.

And right now, Neji needed to make Sasuke understand.

"Let me tell you something. And it has nothing to do with this. But I need to tell you." Neji began. He felt his heart ease up as Sasuke walked towards him and sat on the sofa he had sat earlier.

* * *

He got up and walked towards the window. His eyes looked into the distance as if they were reaching for something far off. A memory far away.

As a child, Neji had lived a normal life; the life that any kid would want. Even though, he had no idea what of his mother, he was happy. He had his father who never expected anything more from him.

Neji's father; Hyuuga Hizashi was the younger twin to Neji's uncle; Hyuuga Hiashi who was blessed with two daughters; first born Hyuuga Hinata and second and last born Hyuuga Hanabi.

The Hyuugas were one of the few families in Japan which clung to tradition. Generations after generations of great politicians were born in the Hyuuga family. However, like any other tradition, only the oldest son was to become the head of the family; one who holds authority over other family members.

Although Neji's father never wanted to have anything to do with the family tradition of being great politicians, his brother always made sure to convey his authority over him.

With the knowledge that Neji would never hold any authority in the Hyuuga family, Hizashi never made an effort to encourage the young Neji to study politics, Much to Hiashi's dismay.

One time when Neji was making his way towards his uncle's house to play with Hinata, he had overheard his father and uncle in a conflict. The subject of their argument was none other than the young Neji.

Curiosity had gripped him and he had stayed outside the chamber to listen to what was going on. Even at his young age, Neji was smart enough to know that his father and uncle were not on good terms. Neji had always wondered why…

Clinging to the wall, Neji had sharpened his ears like a hare to capture each word that was to be said.

"Why are you so keen about my son? You have two daughters. What is wrong with that?" Neji recognised the voice as his father's.

"There is something wrong with that on countless levels. My daughters are not suitable to take over after me. Specifically Hinata; she is too weak to deal with politicians. As for Hanabi, she is stronger than Hinata but she is too young. And besides them having this incompetence, they are girls. In our family, it has always been the male child taking over, even if the female child is older. In this case I want to train Neji, the male Hyuuga child of the next generation."

"But Neji is my son, and he is not in the main family. How do you plan to make this work?" Hizashi was furious; he should have seen this coming sooner or later.

_Not that I would let my son be put into this politics game. I want him to follow his own path. Not the path chosen by the family for him._

"By adopting Neji into the main family."

"You can't just decide that on your own. He is my son. And I won't let you drag him into your own dreams."

"As the head of this family I have the right to decide on what to do with each family member."

Neji run away to his home when he heard footsteps coming towards him.

He hadn't heard what had been said after hearing his uncle say 'by adopting Neji into the main family' he didn't want to leave his dad. However, he knew that his uncle's words would not be objected to by any family member.

Later that evening, his father hadn't said anything to Neji. But he had looked troubled. And Neji said nothing.

Sadly, that night, the unfortunate occurred.

Neji had woken up by the ruckus coming from the main house. His legs had taken him to the house. As soon as he had stepped foot on the doorway, Neji had regretted it.

"Father…" the word formed on his tongue unsurely.

"Nooo!" he had screamed as he ran towards the unmoving bloodied figure; the figure of his father.

Neji leaned on his father's body.

"Father Wake up! You can't leave me! Father…" he shock the body again and again with no response. He knew his father was gone. Despite that the desperation he felt made him think that if he could call enough to him he would wake up.

Someone pulled him away from his father. He struggled, but whoever carried him was too strong for him to break free.

His father's blood and his tears mixed. Everything became distant from him. And everyone became shadows to him.

His father was dead.

The realism had shattered his heart mercilessly. He had felt helpless. His body had felt weak as if he would collapse with a little push. Neji wanted to end the hollow feeling that was taking shape in his heart. The emptiness was too piercing. The pain was too excruciating. The tears streamed down his cheeks freely.

At a young age of ten, he had experienced loss, rage, loneliness, emptiness, helplessness.

From then on, Neji became cold to everyone. He shut his heart away.

* * *

Neji began playing the perfect male child to his uncle. He made himself believe that everyone had their destiny in life; he believed that some people were destined for greatness and some were destined for commonness. In the world there are those who rule and those who follow. That is because it is their destiny.

What had befallen his father, was that his destiny?

It is futile to fight against your destiny. Hence he decided to follow his without a fight. He decided to follow the path that his uncle was forging for him. Regardless of what was ahead.

Neji had been sent to a private school for his studies. However, when it was time for him to start high school, for the first time in his life, he had objected to his uncle's decision to send him yet to another private school. Neji had begged his uncle to let him attend to a public school. He had asserted to his uncle that he would become a great politician from learning from the common people who would need his leadership.

In actuality, Neji just wanted to have the experience he had had when he was just a child; interacting with unspoilt children from common families. He was tired of putting up with rich brats in private schools.

However, with what had happened to him, he had changed; he couldn't interact with people that easily anymore.

In his second year of high school, a girl by the name of Tenten, from one of the great politician families in China was introduced to him as his fiancée.

Neji had foreseen this happening. In spite of that, he hadn't thought that it would happen so soon. What was his uncle thinking? Was it his way to keep Neji on the leash since he was getting to the age of being able to be independent?

Neji wasn't certain why his uncle had decided to find a bride for him so soon. Nonetheless, he had accepted the proposition without protestation.

* * *

"Wait, you have a fiancée! What day and age are you living in?" yelled Sasuke, and that said a lot considering Sasuke wasn't one to scream at people.

Neji just sighed. Really now did Sasuke have to be that surprised?

"Yeah I have a fiancée." He responded shortly. There was nothing more he could say. Now he was just waiting for what Sasuke would say. For unexplainable reason to him, he felt that whatever that Sasuke would say would matter to him.

"You are serious." It wasn't a question. The fact made Sasuke's blood boil.

_Why am I getting worked up about this?_ Sasuke thought.

"Yeah I am serious. I have a fiancée and we will be getting married after graduation. The thing is I don't feel anything when I am with her."

_But you make my heart feel like it's going to burst Sasuke._

"So you are getting cold feet?" Sasuke wondered why he felt so pleased with that idea.

"I don't think so. I never liked her from the start. I have only met her twice, that is when I first met her and when she came to my birthday."

"Can't you back out of it?" _Back out now!_ Sasuke's mind screamed.

"Sasuke, you sound like you don't know about these things. I just can't say 'oh let's not get married anymore'"

"Right" Sasuke realised that Neji was right; he knew that if his parents were still alive, Itachi would be married by now to a girl he never met before.

Now all that Sasuke could do is support Neji as 'a friend' would. Even though his mind kept screaming at him not to let it be that way.

"Well look at it this way, you don't have to bother looking for a girl for the upcoming seniors ball." That was Sasuke's attempt to ease the tension in the room. And of course it was also to ignore the heavy feeling in his heart.

Neji just gave him a look that said 'that's all you got?'

"Well, that is if you don't fall in love with someone else, I'm sure everything will work out. Not most people out there got married because of love. As they say, love comes after the marriage." _what am I saying. This is so not me._

"Sasuke, since when did you comfort people. That's not you." Neji tried to ease the seriousness in the room. It frightened him, to see the stoic Sasuke being so comforting.

"Speaking of which, you still haven't said why you did 'that' to me."

Neji turned around to face his source of melancholy.

"Wait; don't tell me you have fallen for me?" Sasuke smirked as he said this.

A part of him wanted it to be true. Yet the other part of him was afraid to find out; be it the truth or not; the fact that Neji was a guy didn't not matter to him.

He waited for a response from Neji and Neji just looked at him with a pained expression.

_Well it's now or never. What's the worst that could happen apart from being rejected? _

_Well here goes._ Neji thought as he tried to calm his thumping heart.

"Sigh. Sasuke… I … the thing is I…okay… fine. You want to know! I have fallen in love with you!" Neji yelled and looked down; he didn't want to see Sasuke's expression.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock; Neji was serious.

**TBC**


	5. Chapter 5

For Better or Worse

Part 5

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words etc.'

"Sigh. Sasuke… I … the thing is I…okay… fine. You want to know! I have fallen in love with you!" Neji yelled uncharacteristically, and looked down; he didn't want to see the disgust that Sasuke would direct at him. Any minute now and Sasuke would either punch him in repulsion or just storm out of the room with great remorse. And Neji would welcome it. That's what he deserved; what man lusts for another? It's a disgrace.

In spite of that, the punch never came, nor did Neji hear Sasuke's footsteps fade away from the room. Alternatively, the room was filled with such intoxicating, piercing silence that Neji thought he could hear the blood flowing through his veins, streaming back and forth from his thudding heart.

He resisted the urge to bring his hand up against his chest to soothe the ache there, in fear that a little movement would destroy the silence between them; no matter how painful the silence was, for an unexplainable reason, Neji felt that the lack of reaction from Sasuke meant that Sasuke's mind hadn't quite understood yet what had been said. Neji guessed it was for the best since it gave him some time to prepare himself for Sasuke's inevitable, impending response.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock; Neji was serious.

Sasuke couldn't move; his body felt as if it had been bound onto the chair. His mind couldn't come up with anything to say. As for his heart, it seemed that it was the only organ that was still functioning as far as he was aware in his shock stricken state.

Despite the shock, was Sasuke disgusted?

No. his only brother liked other men. Did that make him disgusting?

Was he angry?

Why?

Happy?

No comment.

Like other men?

Umm… well he knew he preferred a hard body to a soft one?

Was he confused?

Well, already there. If the incoherent thought process was anything to go by; Part of him wanted it to be the truth and the other part was waiting for Neji to say 'just kidding.' Sasuke knew that his future with Neji depended on his response; so he didn't want to be the one to voluntarily make that future, whatever it might be.

Nevertheless, it was apparent that Neji wasn't going to say anything since he was the one waiting for a response. Thus Sasuke decided to say something even if it was off topic; he just wanted to escape. Call him a coward, but he was not ready to face whatever was to happen if he responded to Neji's umm… confession.

Just when his body along with his tongue recalled their purpose, Sasuke's phone rang loudly; drowning the loud smothering silence between them as if it were a gong announcing that the responding time was up.

Sasuke fumbled through his trousers' pockets for the ringing device. His brain was still in a muddle to recall exactly which pocket he had put it earlier. And his hands felt numb; so out of his control that he congratulated himself for managing to keep the phone in his hands without dropping it as he lifted it to his ear. He didn't even check the caller ID as he habitually did.

"I… I... ah, hello?" he stammered into the phone unsurely.

"Young master?" the voice on the other end queried.

"Yes it's me." Sasuke answered clearly this time. He heard a sigh from the other end and he guessed that he had worried his driver when he had sounded so out of character. Before the driver could state the obvious, Sasuke realised a window for an escape from the situation at hand and he quickly grabbed his school bag and he made for the door.

"I have to go." He said hastily all the while opening the door, and leaving no room for Neji to reply.

"Right." Neji said dejectedly to the closed door as he felt his knees give out and he slid to the floor unceremoniously; his elegance gone. He felt his eyes sting and his throat felt dry. The way Sasuke had left the room, the response was as good as a "no"

Maybe it was for the best…?

If so, why was it becoming so hard for him to breathe? And why did he feel so weak? And helpless?

Even so, Neji had to admit to himself that what he was feeling right then was a lot better than what he had been feeling the moment he had confessed and had waited so painfully for Sasuke's response; it had been the longest and the most agonizing moment of his life.

Sasuke had barely heard the whispered 'right' from behind the closed door. He had felt his heart sink at the tone of Neji's voice; Neji was a proud guy. Which made it more convincing that Neji was certainly serious about what he had said. Yet Sasuke was still having a hard time trusting Neji's words; they were still strangers and they hadn't quite started on good terms. And as far as his experience with love goes, Sasuke couldn't recall anyone loving him voluntarily without ulterior motives. And all because of his family's worth; the same family that didn't even entertain his existence.

But, could it be that Neji was different from the others? Despite the nagging screams in his head for him to go back in there, Sasuke had pushed himself off the door he had been leaning on to compose himself before meeting his driver.

He had quickly walked towards the car and had given a quick nod as a greeting to his driver as he got into the car silently. Sasuke had glanced out the window as if he would have seen Neji calling out to him to stop.

Why was Neji not calling out to him?

_Damn it Neji, where are you?_ Sasuke's mind had screamed.

* * *

Sasuke walked out of the car as the driver held the door for him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he remembered that his brother was still on a business trip; he didn't really want to be confronted on why he looked a mess. Even though to anyone, Sasuke looked as normal as ever, Itachi would easily read through the cool mask that covered the turmoil Sasuke was in.

Sasuke hated to trouble or disappoint his brother; Itachi was and will always be his idol. Sasuke wanted to be just like his brother. Itachi had always looked out for him. He had always shielded him from his father.

As a child, Sasuke had always been ignored by his father. His mother wasn't much of a shield for Sasuke from his father. Itachi was the only one who paid attention to him. So Sasuke grew attached to his brother. And Itachi made sure to spend more time with his little brother to make up for the lack of attention from their parents to Sasuke.

When their parents noticed this, they decided to ship Sasuke off to a boarding school; they didn't want him disturbing Itachi's studies to become the pride of the Uchihas. The perfect child.

Sending Sasuke to boarding school was their only solution because they knew that Itachi wouldn't listen to them if they were to tell him not to spend time with his little brother.

However when they informed Itachi about their decision to send Sasuke away, Itachi objected and he threatened to leave as well.

"Why are you doing this? Can't you see that he is just a kid?" Itachi had yelled at his father. Forget about respect, he was not going to let them run his and Sasuke's life like that.

"I can see, and that is why it will be good for him and you. You need to focus on your studies. Remember you are the heir of this family and I will not tolerate failure in this house." His father had said firmly.

"Well then, if that is so. If Sasuke is going to boarding School, I would like to go with him." Itachi stood his ground. He held his gaze with his father's.

When his father said nothing to that, Itachi dismissed himself from the room. When he opened the door, he came face to face with the little Sasuke.

"Little brother?" he was surprised; he had thought that his little brother had gone to bed.

In response, Sasuke began running away. Itachi quickly run after him.

"Little brother!" Itachi had called after him. But Sasuke had kept on running across the hall towards his bedroom.

"Sasuke stop it." He commanded.

Sasuke stopped. He knew better; his brother never used his name unless he was serious. However he didn't turn around to face his brother.

Itachi walked up to Sasuke and carried him to his room. He sat him on the bed and knelt in front of him. Sasuke refused to make eye contact with his brother; he didn't want his brother to see him cry. That was so not cool. He wanted to be just like his brother and crying was not one of the things that his brother would do.

"Sasuke, did you hear everything?" asked Itachi trying to find where to begin. He received a nod from Sasuke.

"Brother, does father hate me? Did I do something wrong?"

"Listen here Sasuke, you didn't do anything wrong-"

"But father wants to send me away…"

"Sasuke, look at me." Sasuke looked up at his brother.

"I want you to know that I will not let them send you away okay. Trust me."

"Yes."

"Good. Now go to sleep, I will see you in the morning." Sasuke went under the covers and Itachi walked out of the room to his own room.

With much of Itachi's threats to their parents, the talk about sending Sasuke to boarding school had been dropped. However, that didn't mean that the idea was liberated, their father was just waiting for the perfect moment; an opportunity that Sasuke or Itachi would slip up and give him reason to separate them.

Unfortunately for their father and fortunately for Itachi and Sasuke, no slip up to give their father an opportunity to have his way ever came. And Itachi's time to take over the business was nearing.

However, Itachi told their father, "I will take over if I have my own workers; I want to build my own team." Itachi just wanted a few young people he could relate to and trust to work for him; he didn't trust some of his father's people. So he decided to look for his team at a public school that the Uchihas funded. It was the second semester of senior high school when Itachi joined the school.

Unfortunately before the semester came to an end there was misfortune in the Uchiha house hold; Itachi and Sasuke's parents were found dead in their holiday villa. The killer was later discovered as Yakushi Kabuto one of the people Itachi had befriended upon joining the public high school. The young man was working for Orochimaru; a well-known scientist. Apparently Itachi and Sasuke's parents had been sponsoring Orochimaru on his project which was unspecified to the Uchihas. So when they found out that the project was human experiments, they tried to back out.

Orochimaru couldn't risk exposure and he needed the money; and that's where Kabuto comes in; befriending Itachi, earning his trust that Itachi would share everything about his family.

Sasuke knew that his brother blamed himself for their parent's death; If only he hadn't trusted Kabuto, then maybe things would have turned out different. But Sasuke didn't blame his brother for it.

And Itachi had been right not to trust some of his father's workers from the beginning. After the funeral. No. in the midst of the mourning they had begun devising plans on how to deceive Itachi into giving them ownership to the business. With the reasoning that Itachi was too young to take over the company. Fortunately Itachi had been fully trained to run the business and he was a prodigy. Besides that, nobody could delude him after what he had experienced.

Their parents had severed all ties with the other Uchihas. So the only relatives they had were each other.

At the age of eighteen, while Sasuke was thirteen, Itachi took over the business and a year later Orochimaru and Kabuto were arrested for murder. And when they found them in their hide out; a lab, they discovered the human experiments and extended their period in jail.

Since then, Itachi couldn't just trust anyone; he developed the mentality that everyone who tried to get close to him had an ulterior motive.

As for Sasuke, life at his private high school became chaotic as everyone started treating him differently; even people he'd considered his friends were distancing themselves from him. Both the students and the teachers pitied him; And Sasuke hated that. There were times when he could hear whispers about his family; Shameless people would even question about his parents death to his face. One of the questions he became tired of was "how is it like to lose both your parents at the same time suddenly and at such a young age?"

Sasuke had tried to endure the situation at school. So he didn't tell Itachi about it; he didn't want to cause his brother any trouble. It was bad enough that Itachi had to juggle the family business and play father to him. Sasuke felt guilty. All he wanted was for one day, to repay his brother for looking after him while their parents ignored him. But it seemed that now in place of repaying his brother, he had become an even bigger burden to him; Itachi needed to only concentrate on the business, not on Sasuke too.

One day when Sasuke came back from school, Itachi had welcomed him at the door. He had led him to his home office. Sasuke was scared; he didn't know what he had done wrong. But his brother's expression was of anger and something that Sasuke couldn't put his finger on.

Sasuke had sat nervously on a one sitter sofa while Itachi had sat on a two sitter sofa in front of him with a coffee table in-between them.

"Sasuke," Itachi had begun and that had snapped Sasuke into attention since his brother had addressed him by name instead of the usual "little brother".

"How is life at school?"

_Crap right to the point brother._ Thought Sasuke, at this point, he knew his brother had gotten wind of his school situation.

"Fine." He responded shortly and looking anywhere but at his brother.

Itachi growled.

"Damn it Sasuke. Why didn't you tell me about it? Why? Let me guess, you didn't want to trouble me? Is that it Sasuke? Don't you think not telling me is what troubles me the most?"

Sasuke just hanged his head in shame; he had been trying to lift some of the burdens on his brother but it seems that he had just made matters worse.

"Talk to me Sasuke."

Sasuke didn't say anything. Afraid to say anything he would regret.

"Sasuke I think you should go to boarding school." It wasn't a suggestion nor was it put up for opinions; Itachi had already made arrangements.

So Sasuke had ended up going to boarding school overseas for his first year in high school; he understood that his brother was just trying to protect him. However he couldn't help but smile in irony at the situation. Isn't this what he and his brother had worked hard to prevent?

_Father would have been happy to know that his wish finally came true._

Two years later, after hard work to convince his brother that he was going to be okay, Sasuke came back to live in Japan with his brother. And thus he began his senior year at the school that Itachi had gone to briefly.

* * *

Sasuke leaned on his folded arms leaning on his desk and gazing into the black screen of his laptop as if asking for answers. Maybe he shouldn't have celebrated that his brother was away because he was the only person Sasuke would have confided in.

After what seemed like a decade of wishing that his brother was home, Sasuke dragged himself to his red, velvet, canopy bed. Just when he was settling into the silk sheets, there was a hesitant knock on his bedroom door. Sasuke groaned; he had told the maids not to disturb him. Could that knock be important?

_Maybe brother is home. No. Itachi would have come in without knocking._

Sasuke debated with himself whether to answer or feign to be sleep. However, he really wanted to know what the knock was for if it wasn't Itachi. So his curiosity won him over and he responded with,

"What is it?"

"You have a visitor young master…" a nervous young lady's voice said from outside the door.

Sasuke ignored the honorific, he knew that the person behind the door was one of the newer maids and she was still not familiar with him to address him by his name; not his stature.

"I will be there." He said as he got out of the bed to meet whoever decided that visiting him at this hour was acceptable…. Wait.

What time is it anyway? He glanced to his bedside table and the clock read 12:00 am. Damn. How long had he been staring into space since he'd come home from school? Or had he fallen asleep? He was still in his school uniform.

Well, he vaguely remembered seeing what time it was when he'd answered the phone earlier. It had been something five pm.

Sasuke also remembered how that phone call had helped him escape from the situation with Neji. Speaking of whom, Sasuke knew he hadn't escaped the situation, because if he had, he wouldn't have wasted so much time of doing nothing but thinking about it.

Neji… the name made Sasuke's heart pound furiously. Damn it! Why was Neji's name making him feel like this suddenly?

To distract his mind from wandering back to that name along with a sad face, Sasuke called out to the maid who he knew would still be there without his dismissal.

"Do you know who the visitor is?"

"No young master, but he insisted that he see you tonight without fail…"

"Huh? Without fail?" Sasuke echoed.

"Yes young master."

_Who can it be? I hope it's not one of brother's lovers. No. brother has never brought any of his lovers home. Maybe it's that Narrator guy who brother has been crazed over. No. that guy disappeared off the face of the earth two years ago. Maybe it's a stalker…_

"Is he young… old or?" Sasuke persisted; he wasn't just going to meet his visitor without knowing who it was first.

"I have not seen him young master, but apparently he insisted that he is a friend from school."

"Huh? Friend from school?" Sasuke couldn't remember a friend from school who would visit him at midnight…

_God no! Could it be…?_ Sasuke didn't even want to finish that thought. Instead, he rushed to the security room; where live videos from some parts of the mansion, including the main gate were being transmitted. Sasuke froze upon looking on the screen of the main gate video.

There, on the screen like he had feared was Neji's face on a close up image. His eyes seemed like they could see Sasuke's soul through the camera and paralysing him on the spot.

Sasuke felt conflicted; simultaneously he felt like rushing out there and punching Neji in the gut like he'd done the first time they had met for making him feel so helpless and crying with happiness for seeing Neji again. After the way Sasuke had left the room, he had been sure that Neji would not want to associate with him again. So, Neji was serious after all; if visiting him after midnight was any sigh of a serious man.

His body relaxed and he joyously called into intercom connected to the gate man's earphones.

"Let him through." And he practically run to the front door to meet his visitor and attracting surprised? Horrified? Stares from the people around the house who had never seen him run about in joy like a little boy. Not even when he had been little. Never. Each one carrying on with their respective jobs upon convincing themselves that it was just wishful thinking.

Meanwhile, Sasuke reached the front door and when he was about to open, something hit him.

What if Neji was here to just mock apologize for his actions and say that it was just his revenge? But couldn't that have waited until the next day at school? The giddiness dissipated from his body and he felt lost.

With trembling hands Sasuke opened the door.

**TBC**


	6. Chapter 6

For Better or Worse

Part 6

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words etc.

With trembling hands Sasuke opened the door. To still the trembling, he gripped the door handle so hard that his hand almost hurt. If Neji had really come just to humiliate him, Sasuke was going down fighting.

Neji's gut clenched. The nervousness he'd felt since making the decision to set things straight with Sasuke was replaced with such pain like a kick to the shin. The door was opened halfway and Sasuke stood with half his body behind the door as if given an excuse, he would slam the door shut instantly in Neji's face. The gesture had 'you are not welcome here' printed all over it in bold letters. _Guess I deserve that._

Nevertheless, Neji hadn't come here to guess what he deserved or not. He had come to clear things up between him and Sasuke. The end result, what ever it might be was inevitable. He just needed Sasuke to listen to him before he slammed the door in his face. He gripped his thighs through his jeans pockets with his hands that he had shoved in the pockets to still them from fidgeting.

"Hey" he forced out and hoped that his voice didn't betray him.

"Hey" responded Sasuke with a breathy sigh. Neji didn't know what to make of it.

"Can we talk?" He swallowed to moisten his suddenly dry throat. His eyes looked anywhere but at Sasuke. Swallowing the earlier rejection from Sasuke; indirect or not had left a hollow feeling somewhere inside him. If Sasuke rejected him again, Neji didn't know how he would take it.

Sasuke didn't respond in any form. He didn't shift from his position behind the door, sighed or what Neji wanted the most at that moment; speak.

The look that Neji had given him upon opening the door had made him squirm. Sasuke had noticed the fear and the stiffness of Neji's posture, which had made Sasuke's head spin because despite the lack of knowledge on human body language on his part, Sasuke didn't think that, was a posture of someone ready to announce their victory. It was a posture of someone pleading for understanding. With a frustrated sigh, Sasuke opened the door wider to let Neji in.

Sasuke didn't want the house keeper and everyone else in the house to witness what ever that would take place if Neji and he were to cause a commotion. So he led his guest to his room where the house keeper wouldn't write a report to inform his brother whenever he got back from his business trip. It wouldn't be anything new.

* * *

Neji sat on the desk chair facing Sasuke who had taken a seat on the edge of the four poster bed with red velvet drapes that matched the dark blue silk sheets. The guy looked about ready to bolt from the room. Neji guessed the only reason he hadn't yet was because it was his house so it made more sense if he, Neji left the house.

The silence! Dear god the silence.

Sasuke hadn't said a word since Neji had said 'can we talk?,' and Neji? Well he had no clue where to begin. He had recited to himself what he had formulated to tell Sasuke. And he was sure he had had a beginning in what he was going to say to Sasuke up until he had been faced with Sasuke himself. Everything had frown out of his head. Now he was sure he just looked like an idiot since Sasuke was waiting for him to start talking considering he'd been the one to suggest it and more than that, he had come all the way here to Sasuke's place which was about an hour from his home. Besides all that, Neji felt that it was his responsibility to be the one in the lead.

To calm himself, Neji played back what had transpired between them since he had uttered 'can we talk?'

Neji had noticed Sasuke's change in posture from defensive and unwelcoming to resigned. Then Sasuke had opened the door wider to let Neji in. as he had taken a step into the house, Neji kept himself in check to not gape at the interior design. The Uchihas' mansion was completely different from the Hyugas' housing which was a typical Japanese housing style.

The Uchihas' housing style was one Neji had seen in western movies. The entrance hall was in a Victorian style which Neji guessed could fit about 300 people. Flooring was wood; vanished wood. On the centre of the floor, a simple large fan which Neji knew as the Uchihas' family crest, was drawn. Swirled pattern covered the ceiling and it was adorned with a large chandelier on the centre. Straight ahead were two stair cases carpeted in red with a brown line in the centre. The stairs met at the top in a semi-circle leaving a gap in between where a family portrait was hanged above an entrance to a hallway. The cream walls were decorated with canvas framed paintings and wall lights which resembled candelabras.

Sasuke had led Neji up on the right side stair case. From then on Neji hadn't noticed anything other than Sasuke's tight jeans clad, well moulded ass. And so all the way to Sasuke's bedroom door, Neji had been occupied in willing his body to cooperate; he hadn't thought Sasuke would be pleased to notice his erection. The bed and the thought of Sasuke spread out on the light blue covers, naked, hadn't been much help. So he had sat himself on the desk chair which provided the much needed space between the bed where Sasuke sat and the desk.

* * *

Sasuke fidgeted on the edge of the bed. He had noticed Neji eyeing him since they had walked up the stairs. He had also noticed a bulge on Neji's front. He knew it was from Neji's staring at him. Despite that, he didn't know how he felt about that. Tsk. Who was he kidding. Neji's staring at him had made him hot. And the only reason that Neji hadn't noticed his erection like he had done Neji's when he had glanced over his shoulder to make sure Neji was still with him, was because he had had his back to him.

But now, sitting on the bed facing Neji was making it hard to keep his body in control. Speaking of hard, Neji's bulge hadn't receded. If anything, it had become even bigger. Sasuke swallowed and he felt his boxers tighten even more in response. Why was he having a hard time controlling his body? He had never had trouble controlling his urges before. So what was different now? Better yet, what was different about Neji.

Sasuke found himself wondering how it would feel like to have Neji in his mouth. To swallow him all the way down and taste him. To have Neji's lips against his and to feel Neji's tongue wrap around his. How it would feel like to have Neji's fingers and tongue all over his body, around his hard on. To be pressed against Neji's body while Neji entered him…

_Damn! _Sasuke bit his bottom lip. He groaned at the images running through his head. He opened the eyes he hadn't noticed he had closed. And hoped his groan hadn't been loud enough for Neji to hear.

Despite not wanting Neji to hear his groans, As if on a puppet's string, Sasuke shot up from the bed and made his way towards Neji who had seemed a bit distracted a minute ago. But now he held his heated gaze with Sasuke's equalling gaze. Guess talking wasn't required to set things straight between them.

Sasuke reached Neji and before he could do anything else like change his mind about what he had walked towards Neji for, Neji grabbed both his arms and pulled him onto his lap. Now Sasuke sat straddling Neji's hips. Neji lifted Sasuke's arms onto his shoulder and Sasuke carried on the job by circling his arms around Neji's shoulders. Neji reached for Sasuke's hair and tugged him down for a kiss.

The kiss was hard and desperate. It were as if they were trying to project what had transpired between them since their first meeting; to sort out any hard feelings between them through that one kiss.

Neji pulled away and Sasuke made a whining noise at the loss.

"Sasuke…" called out Neji. Sasuke's response was to capture Neji's open mouth and insert his tongue inside. Neji groaned and he forgot about why he had wanted Sasuke's attention. He reached for Sasuke's ass and grabbed each cheek in his hands. He pulled Sasuke closer to him and they both groaned as their clothed, hard members rubbed against each other. Sasuke's tongue began making thrusting movements; in and out; the tale-tell of what he wanted. That snapped Neji out of his dazed mind and he once again pulled away from Sasuke.

Breathing hard, he called out for Sasuke's attention again.

Sasuke just groaned in exasperation.

"Bed now." Neji Commanded.

Sasuke didn't know why Neji's command made him feel like melting on Neji's lap. But he didn't care for an explanation right then.

When Neji realised that Sasuke couldn't be pried away from him, he took matters into his own hands. He got up from the chair with Sasuke still clinging to him and made for the bed. He laid Sasuke on the bed and he quickly removed his shirt. He unbuttoned his trousers' button and when he was about to reach for the zipper, Sasuke pulled him down onto top of him. Without much ado, he pressed his lips onto Neji's hungrily. Neji responded with an equalling hunger. They moaned into each other's mouths. Tongues seeking each other's taste urgently. The desperation for oxygen pulled them apart finally.

Neji immediately reached for Sasuke's neck. He trailed wet kisses from the collarbone to the ear. He nipped on the earlobe experimentally. As a result, Sasuke gasped and his body shivered. Feeling bold, Neji gave Sasuke's earlobe another nip then soothed it with gentle licks.

Neji leaned up and straddled Sasuke's hips for better access. Sliding lower, he quickly undid Sasuke's shirt's buttons. His right hand worked on Sasuke's left nipple; pinching it again and again, then just rubbing it until it became hard.

Sasuke squirmed in pleasure. God, he never knew his nipples were so sensitive. Not that he'd never touched himself, it was just that it felt way different when someone else did it. He bit his bottom lip to muffle the cries of pleasure. Sasuke bit on his bottom lip harder when Neji swept his wet tongue on the other nipple. It was too much but not enough. Sasuke wanted more. And what he wanted the most was for Neji to… to…

_To what! Dammit… I don't know what I want! _Screamed Sasuke in his head.

Sasuke's jeans were gone in a flash along with them, his boxers. Neji's hands were everywhere, but where it was most painful. Sasuke had never begged anyone for anything, and he was not starting now! damn it. Fortunately for him he didn't have to see if he could break that custom because then,

"Ahh… Neji…" Sasuke panted when he felt moist heat surround his hard on. He arched off the bed when Neji pulled up to follow the heat. Neji held Sasuke's thrusting hips onto the bed to prevent from gagging; he didn't really want to disrupt the moment now, did he? He run the tip of his tongue between the small slit on Sasuke's member. The response he got for his troubles was dizzying. The need to reward Sasuke, had him taking Sasuke's member down his throat.

Sasuke cried out desperately. he didn't know what to do with himself. He gripped the sheets tightly, but it didn't feel right. So he gripped Neji's long hair; tugging on it to hold him in place. He was close. No. it was too soon, he didn't want to come now. No. wait, that's not it, he wanted to come now. but it was too soon; Neji had just started on him. Damn it, if he were to come now, it would be embarrassing. But heavens, it was too much. He yanked Neji's hair to stop him, Neji would have none of it.

With the first attempt to stop Neji failed, Sasuke tried vocalising his request.

"Neji… Neji…" he panted. What was he about to say? Dammit, he was losing it; he couldn't even form a proper, short, sentence. His thoughts were, well, haywire.

" stop… stop…" he chanted the word to make up for the lack of a proper sentence for Neji to understand him.

Neji understood alright. However, that didn't mean that he was going to follow through. Sasuke's whimpers were enchanting; he didn't want to stop if it meant that Sasuke would stop as well. Besides that, he wanted Sasuke to come in his mouth; to taste him. He hummed around Sasuke's shaft. Sasuke's body trembled, followed by warm liquid shooting down Neji's throat. Who took as much as he could manage without chocking. As Sasuke's body relaxed, Neji licked his still hard member clean.

Sliding back up, Neji levelled his face with Sasuke's. what he was graced with was something he would give his right arm for; Sasuke was so adorable; the usually pale complexion rivalled a ripe cherry, his tear glistened, dark eyes were looking anywhere but at Neji. A shy Sasuke, that was a first and not to mention extremely cute. Neji vowed to make this Sasuke now, a custom and of course reserved only for him.

"Sasuke"

"sorry" Sasuke mumbled with his face still turned away from Neji.

Neji knew what Sasuke was apologising for. Despite that, he couldn't help himself.

"for what?" he asked innocently.

_Shit this guy is gonna make me say it. _Sasuke groaned. It was bad enough that he had lost his cool. But now Neji wanted him to vocalise his… his… well… his… urgh!

"um… for… you know…" dammit! as soon as his brain starts functioning normally, he was going to kill Neji. He was an Uchiha. And Uchihas did not stutter.

"I don't understand Sasuke." Neji knew he was pushing it. But as aforementioned, he couldn't help himself; it was not every day that he saw a million expressions on Sasuke's usually apathetic face.

Sasuke just frowned. However to Neji, it just looked like a pout, making Neji want to take the pouting lips into his mouth. And so he did. Sasuke moaned into the kiss, his note to kill Neji completely forgotten. His legs wrapped around Neji's hips, pulling him flash against his body.

Pulling away from the kiss, Neji leaned up on his elbows. His hand held Sasuke's chin to keep him from turning away.

" you don't need to apologise. I don't think I could have lasted long either" and it was true. Even without being touched, Neji was ready to burst. Sasuke looked a little surprised at the admission.

" let me do it for you" he offered, red faced. Nonetheless, he held his courage and emphasised his offer by grinding his hips to Neji's. Neji ground back. He pressed his clothed member to Sasuke's naked one.

Not waiting for a spoken response, Sasuke reached for Neji's zipper and unzipped it. Soon, his hands pushed Neji's trousers down his hips and grabbed Neji's hard on. Neji groaned at the touch.

"sasuke" he moaned out. Without realising it, Neji found himself on his back with Sasuke straddling his hips, his hands still pumping his shaft. Neji thrust into Sasuke's grip. He grasped the bed sheets tightly while Sasuke worked on him. His body shuddered.

" Sasuke!" he cried out and shot into Sasuke's hands. Sasuke leaned up and brought his cum coated fingers to his lips. His pink tongue darted out to catch the cum sliding down his fingers. Neji wanted to cry at the erotic sight; Sasuke was really something when he let his guard down.

Neji pulled Sasuke's hips forward so that Neji's hard on rested between Sasuke's cheeks. Sasuke leaned forward, making Nejis's member slide on his opening. He pushed back to feel more of Neji's heat. However, Neji pulled him up his body. He understood what Sasuke's gesture meant; Sasuke wanted him inside. Well the feeling was mutual, except that it was both their first time.

"what?" Sasuke asked, puzzled when Neji just looked at him questioningly. He had thought that Neji wanted to go inside when he had rested his shaft against his hole.

" Sasuke, are you sure about this?" Neji asked him.

"just shut up and do it before I change my mind." Knowing Sasuke, that was as good as a yes.

" do you have something we can use?"

Sasuke looked around the room. His eyes landed on a small bottle on the bedside table. He raised an eyebrow in question; why the hell was there a bottle of oil on his night stand?

_Oh._

Sasuke recalled one of the maids giving it to him. She had said something about it being a relaxing bath oil or something. Instead of taking it to the bathroom, Sasuke had put it on the nightstand to take it to the bathroom later. Well wasn't that convenient.

"on the nightstand." He nodded his head to the said object.

Neji stretched out to grab the bottle, causing his mender to rub against Sasuke's hole again. They both hissed at the contact.

"ahh." Sasuke pressed back.

"hold.. on Sasuke. We… we need this." Neji ground out between his gritted teeth.

"hurry" Sasuke didn't care that he sounded needy, because needy, he was. He had no clue when he had let his shield down completely, but it didn't matter.

"do you want me to or do you want to do it yourself?" Neji shook the bottle in front of Sasuke in question.

"you do it." With that, Sasuke leaned forward for Neji to reach his opening. An oily finger probed his entrance, circling it a few time, then pushed in. Sasuke flinched and tried to pull away from the finger.

Noticing this, Neji eased out slowly, then with his other hand, he brought Sasuke down to him and captured his lips in a gentle soothing kiss. Even though he was aching to be inside Sasuke, Neji didn't want to hurt him. So he was going to be as patient as possible.

They parted and he let Sasuke rest on his shoulder.

"sorry" Sasuke murmured, that Neji wouldn't have heard it if it weren't for the fact that Sasuke's lips were right on his ear.

"Sasuke." Neji whispered in Sasuke's ear. His arms went around Sasuke; holding him close.

"hmm?" Sasuke responded.

"relax for me okay." As he said that, Neji gave Sasuke's earlobe gentle nips and licks. All the while, his hands were massaging Sasuke's back, up and down. Relaxing him. Neji kept his hands clear off Sasuke ass cheeks while he waited for Sasuke's response.

"Kay." Sasuke answered.

"good." With that as an all clear, Neji's hands cupped Sasuke's ass cheeks, massaging them.

_Wow, Sasuke has a great ass._ Neji thought absently.

Sasuke pushed himself against Neji's toned stomach. Yeah, Neji had a great body; it made Sasuke feel a little insecure about his slender frame. Sasuke wasn't skinny by any means. But compared to Neji, he was on the smaller side. Sasuke didn't even want to think about their height differences; even though they were still growing, it was apparent who would be the taller and more built of the two.

One of Neji's hands crept between Sasuke's cheeks and began rubbing up and down across his opening. The sweet moans from Sasuke's lips made him feel bolder. With his other hand, he grabbed the small bottle of oil. Letting go of Sasuke, he quickly coated his fingers with the oil. Soon his hands returned on Sasuke.

"Sasuke, shift up a little." Sasuke leaned up on his hands and knees, like a feline, he glided up Neji's body. God Sasuke was sexy. Neji groaned and gritted his teeth to keep control. Sauske's leaking member was just inches away from his lips. He felt his balls contract at the need to release.

Sasuke gazed at Neji's parted lips; those full lips had swallowed him earlier; Sasuke wanted to feel them again. His lust glazed eyes locked with Neji's matching ones and his arms buckled. Neji licked his lips to soothe the tingle there. He watched Sasuke as he licked his own lips. His eyes darted back to Sasuke's pre-cum coated twitching member; he wanted to taste Sasuke again. Neji vaguely wondered if he would ever get tired of Sasuke's taste.

"come here." Neji beckoned for Sasuke to move closer to his mouth. He laid still and let Sasuke come to him. His tongue darted out to lick the pre-cum, then circled around the flushed head. Sasuke watched with hungry eyes, licking his own lips. He gripped the pillow tighter to keep from thrusting into that delicious, hot mouth. Neji opened up as if to say come on in. slowly, Sasuke lowered himself in Neji's awaiting mouth and as he did so, his legs spread wider opening up for Neji.

Neji's oiled finger immediately found Sasuke's opening and began rubbing it. Coaxing the muscles to relax. Sasuke cried out when Neji's finger went past the ring of muscle and instantly grazed his sweet spot; his hands clutched the pillow tighter. he pushed further into Neji's mouth and hit the back of his throat. Sasuke pulled back hastily to avoid hurting Neji. However, Neji only pulled him closer, urging him to go deeper. Neji used this as a distraction to prepare Sasuke. A second finger joined the first. Pushing in and out; stretching and relaxing Sasuke's entrance. When a third finger was added, Sasuke cried out in pain. Dammit it was painful. Whoever said sex was mind blowing, better be ready, because Sasuke swore he was going to hunt them down. But for now, he couldn't let Neji down. The guy had been patient with him already.

Noticing Sasuke's discomfort, Neji leaned his head up a little to take Sasuke even deeper while his fingers worked Sasuke's hole. He searched for the sweet spot again. The spot that would make Sasuke lose it.

_there! _Neji exclaimed for joy in his mind when Sasuke arched his back upon Neji's discovery of his buddle of sweet nerves.

Deeming Sasuke ready, Neji pulled him away from his mouth and moved him back until Sasuke's opening rested against Neji's weeping member. With the help of Neji, Sasuke lifted himself on his knees and reached for Neji's hard on and positioned it against his opening. Neji's member was hot and wet; Neji must have coated it with the oil while Sasuke had been distracted.

Neji let Sasuke take control; he didn't want to hurt Sasuke so he was going to let him take it at his own pace. The need to be inside Sasuke grew, but Neji held on. Just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, Sasuke lowered himself on his member slowly. So slow it was excruciating to Neji as he watched Sasuke; he watched as he saw his hard on disappear inside Sasuke's body.

Sasuke shut his eyes firmly, trying to shut out the pain to no avail. It was too much, too much. He had thought that he could take it. But, no. he had completely ignored the fact that Neji's member was, well, big dammit. Sasuke felt like he was being ripped from the inside. Even though his eyes were closed, tears made past his eyelids.

_I can't take this. No way! _Sasuke didn't even want to think about how painful it would be if Neji were to move. No way in hell!

Neji couldn't bear the sight of Sasuke in pain. He stayed still to let Sasuke adjust to the intrusion. He had to do something; turn the pain into pleasure by all means.

Just when Sasuke was about to pull himself off Neji's shaft, Neji moved his hips and Sasuke cried out. Neji's movements had brushed on his sweet spot. Sasuke pressed himself harder against Neji to feel more.

Neji pulled him down for a sloppy kiss.

"sasuke… ride me…" he panted out.

"ah... ahh... Neji..." Sasuke moaned.

Sasuke needn't be told twice. With his hands resting on Neji's chest, he lifted himself up and lowered himself back down onto Neji's rod. Then he repeated the process again and again, His hole squeezing Neji.

Neji couldn't hold back anymore. He grabbed Sasuke's hips and began thrusting in and out of Sasuke's welcoming heat. With each thrust, he managed to hit the spot making Sasuke's cries of pleasure grow louder. Sasuke met each and every one of Neji's thrusts; when Neji thrust up, Sasuke thrust down to meet him. Their perfect rhythm, faltered as they neared their climaxes. The room was filled with their moans and groans and none could distinguish whose moan or groan was which.

Sasuke felt his control on his body slide away as he cried out Neji's name again and again. Neji felt Sasuke's hole squeeze him hard and he lost it. Thrusting into Sasuke relentlessly, he emptied his seed into Sasuke's body. Sasuke shot his load onto Neji's stomach and collapsed right into it. Neji held him tightly until their bodies stopped shuddering from their orgasms.

Sasuke smiled contently. Scratch about what he had said about hunting down whoever said sex was mind blowing. He would rather spend his time exploring what else he and Neji could do.

Neji heard Sasuke's deep breathing and realised that Sasuke had fallen asleep. No matter how much he wanted to stay inside Sasuke's heat, he knew it wouldn't be a pretty morning waking up with dried cum. So he pulled himself out of Sauke and made for the door he guessed was the bathroom. He cleaned himself up and carried a wet towel to clean Sasuke off.

Pulling Sasuke closer to his body, Neji realised that there hadn't been any talk about their earlier situation. well one thing was cleared between them, the attraction between them was mutual.

* * *

When morning came…

Sasuke leaned his arms onto Neji's chest to support himself. And Neji's grip on Sasuke's hips strengthened. His thrusts became rushed and disorderly. He was so close as was Sasuke. Sasuke's muscles tightened around Neji as he shot his cum on Neji's stomach. At the grip of Sasuke's muscles around him, Neji couldn't hold back anymore and he emptied himself once again in Sasuke's tight ass which was practically squeezing him dry. As they rode out the orgasm, Neji pulled Sasuke down for a long wet kiss.

God, they couldn't get enough of each other. Just last night they had done it and in less that twelve hours they had done it again.

When they parted, Sasuke leaned his head onto Neji's chest to revel into the warmth of the hard muscles. He could stay like this forever with Neji still sheathed in him. However he didn't even let out the contented sigh when there was a,

"god dammit Sasuke!" from the door.

Sasuke felt all the afterglow of lovemaking drain out of his system as he turned to the door.

_Crap!_ Was all that came to mind.

As if to confirm the obvious, Sasuke asked,

"brother?"

However before the answer was given or in this case before the door was slammed shut, Sasuke found himself below Neji and the said person hovering above him protectively. And when did the bed covers come up? Sasuke blinked a few times as if to clear his sight. In utter confusion Sasuke glanced from Neji to the closed door, then back to Neji.

_Crap, crap, crap, crap,_ was all Sasuke could come up with. His brother was home.

**TBC**


	7. Chapter 7

For Better or Worse

Part 7

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words etc.

**here is an extra long chapter. take it as a consolation for the long wait. and so, have a long read! hope you like it!

* * *

**

_Crap, crap, crap, crap,_ was all Sasuke could come up with. His brother was home.

Sasuke took deep breaths to calm his pounding heart. How was he going to face his brother? Dammit. Even though Itachi had practically done the same thing about a year ago, Sasuke felt that it was worse on his part. Well he wasn't sure which one of their 'situations' was worse.

He didn't even want to think about it. Right now though, he needed to go and talk to his brother. He tried to get up but he was met with resistance. What the? Oh. He had forgotten that Neji had covered him up with his body along with a bed sheet.

"Sasuke…" Sasuke snapped out of his daze when Neji called out to him.

"Huh?" he answered stupidly. Had Neji asked him something?

"I said, are you okay to face your brother?"

"No" Sasuke didn't even want to lie.

"Will he be mad?"

"Stop asking stupid questions, I don't know how he is going to react. Besides, he has no right." Sasuke mumbled the last part.

"What? I didn't hear the last part."

"It doesn't matter."

"But I want to know." Neji Persisted.

"Why?" Sasuke snapped at Neji.

"Because your reluctance to say it makes me want to know"

"Sigh, it's nothing really." Sasuke hedged.

Neji realised that Sasuke wasn't going to crack anytime soon, if he did that is. So he tried a different tactic. He ground his naked body against Sasuke's naked one.

Sasuke moaned. But he quickly remembered that his brother was back. So he pressed his hands onto Neji's chest to push him off; Neji didn't even budge a muscle. Dammit, the strong bastard. Sasuke was strong, but in his current position, he didn't stand a chance against Neji.

_If I were on top then I could pin him down._ Sasuke flushed at the thought of being on top of Neji, pinning him down. Okay so his mind was still in the gutter from the sex they had just had, sue him.

"Sigh, Neji get off me."

"No" was a firm answer from Neji.

"Why?"

"Not until you tell me what you had said."

"Fine you want to know? Then fine, it's just that something like this had happened before." Sasuke began, then at Neji's look, he quickly corrected.

"Not me."

"Okay" Neji responded innocently as if he hadn't been wearing a murderous expression just a minute ago.

Sasuke recalled how it had happened.

* * *

They had been at one of many of the Uchiha's parties. That time, Sasuke had still been attending boarding school in England. However, he had come back for the holidays. Anyway, Itachi had been expected to do a welcome speech. But when the time came, he had been nowhere to be found; Sasuke and Itachi's assistant had looked everywhere. Itachi's phone had been switched off. After, asking one of Itachi's bodyguard's, whom Sasuke wished he had asked before running about blindly, they were told that Itachi had gone upstairs.

Sasuke had guessed which room his brother would likely be in, hiding away from the party crowd; the venue had been in one of the Uchiha's hotels.

Sasuke had dialled the number of the phone in the room, but it had been ignored. Sasuke had tried again, getting more and more annoyed as he listened to the tone that signalled that the phone had connected but was just being ignored.

Just when he had been about to hang up, his brother had answered. Dear god! Sasuke wished he had hanged up sooner…

"What?" Itachi had answered the phone.

"I can't believe you! Where the hell are you? Everyone is waiting for a speech and you just disappear just like that?" Sasuke had yelled. He had been so annoyed that he hadn't realised his brother's rugged breathing on the other end.

"I ca-ant… now. Figure something out. You're the… hah… the next presi... uh dent." Said Itachi, his voice cut out here and there by his moans and whoever was with him.

Sasuke had felt heat crawl up his neck to his face.

"Um, brother, should I even ask what you are doing? Never mind I don't want know! But you owe me big time." Sasuke had quickly hanged up the phone as if it had caught on fire.

Sasuke had been fine, well as fine as anyone could be after hearing your own brother have sex. That is, as long as he didn't have a name to attach to whoever had been with his brother. But alas, nothing ever went as he wished because, a few days later, when Itachi had begun shutting everyone else out, Sasuke had tried to talk to him. That is when he had been given the name of the stranger; Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

"So you see. It's one of the things I don't ever want to relive" Sasuke finished.

"I see." Was all Neji could manage; he wanted to laugh, but he knew it wouldn't end well with Sasuke.

"But, Sasuke, we had already finished." Neji tried to point out the silver lining.

"That doesn't matter, as long as he knows what we were doing. And you were still inside you idiot." At the latter statement, Sasuke flushed.

Neji smirked. But he decided to give Sasuke a break.

"Do you want me to come with you? No never mind, it might just make your brother madder that you brought a guy home."  
"No, he doesn't mind" _I hope._

There was a knock on the door followed by a female voice.

"Young master, the master is calling for you. Both."

Sasuke groaned guessing what his brother's intentions were for the 'meeting'.

* * *

Itachi paced from one end of his office to another. He was furious. No. He wasn't furious nor was he pleased with Sasuke. So then, what was he feeling? Dammit he didn't know what he was feeling. But one thing was for sure, he was not happy with the situation.

Calming himself down, Itachi went and sat down in his home office chair. Maybe he was overreacting. Really, he didn't think he had a problem with Sasuke sleeping with anyone or bringing someone to their home. It was just, well, Sasuke was his little brother, and it was his job to look after him.

Sigh. Guess Sasuke was growing up. But that didn't make it any less infuriating. What if the guy was just playing with his little brother? And what if Sasuke gets serious and the guy doesn't? And what if the guy gets serious and Sasuke doesn't? Dammit either way, he didn't want his brother to be hurt or be an asshole. Maybe he should end things between them before one of them or both got serious. With that set in mind, Itachi sat back in his chair and waited for his little brother to come to the office.

* * *

Sasuke hesitated at his brother's office door. He wanted to turn around and run. However, he knew that he would only be delaying the inevitable. So he reached for the door handle and walked in with Neji behind him.

Facing his brother wasn't much of a problem to him. Not really. What was making him want to bolt was the fact that his brother's lack of 'like' for the Hyuugas was common knowledge. Itachi didn't like it already that Sasuke was friends with Hyuuga Neji. However sleeping with said Hyuuga was… well… Sasuke didn't know what that qualified as, to his brother.

* * *

When Sasuke and Neji stepped into the office, Itachi stood up from the chair hastily.

"Sasuke, what's the meaning of this? What is he doing here?" At the timid look on Sasuke's face and the guilt on Neji's, Itachi didn't have to call in a scientists, mathematician, or whoever, to do the math. Damn it! His little brother was sleeping with the Hyuuga.

Not wanting to lose his cool in front of the Hyuuga, Itachi quickly schooled his face into an expressionless mask. He sat back down.

Calmly, as opposed to how he felt inside, Itachi demanded.

"Explain. How long has this been going on?" the question wasn't exactly directed at Sasuke alone. But Sasuke figured he had to be the one answering; he didn't want to put Neji more on the spotlight.

"U...mm, that's complicated." He stammered.

"It's complicated or you don't want to explain?"

"That's not it, brother. It's just, we haven't quite figured out what this is yet."

"What do you mean?"

"Um... the thing is, well… you see… we didn't …umm. What I'm trying to say is… that. What am I trying to say?" Sasuke said stupidly. Dammit, he didn't want to put Neji on the spotlight, but come on, Neji could help him out a little! Sasuke felt so uncool. In front of Neji no less.

His brother wasn't helping the case at all; treating him like a little kid. And what was Sasuke supposed to say?

'You see brother, Neji kissed me, I found out he has a fiancée, when he said he has fallen for me I run away. He followed me home, and before I knew it he was inside me taking my virginity. Oh, when you found us? That was the second time he was inside me. So we pretty much haven't had the time to talk.' Sasuke didn't think that would go down so well. He understood that Itachi was just being a good big brother. But he had to let go sometime. Right?

Sasuke took a deep breath and tried to explain properly.

"What I was trying to say is…" well he still had no clue how to explain this. Fortunately for him, Neji came to the rescue.

"What Sasuke is trying to say is that we just got together, and we haven't had the time to talk about it."

"So you mean this is a onetime thing? Because as far as I have heard, you have a fiancée" Itachi asked nonchalantly. Oh, but he was furious.

"I don't love her, I don't even want her" Neji was getting angry now. What was Itachi's problem? Was it his business who his little brother slept with?

"The fact still remains. You are _engaged_" Itachi spat the word like it put a sour taste in his mouth. To Neji, the word made his gut flip; he was afraid Sasuke would realise the seriousness of it.

To Sasuke, though, the word just made him want Neji more. He wanted Neji for himself.

"Itachi. Enough! I know he has a fiancée. But I still want him. I don't know what we have going yet, but I want to give it a chance and see where we go from here okay. I know you are just looking out for me and it makes me happy. But I'm growing up. And it would make me happier to know that you would support me." The last part was whispered, but both Neji and Itachi heard it clearly. Sasuke kept his head down, waiting for Itachi's response.

"Do you feel the same?" Itachi finally asked. But the question was meant for Neji alone.

"Yes. If you are afraid that I will hurt your brother, I can promise you that I will never hurt him intentionally. But I can't promise that I won't hurt him, considering…" Neji let the words hang.

"Good enough. But if you ever, ever, hurt him I will destroy you Hyuuga." The threat was said with a neutral face that Neji didn't know if Itachi was serious or not. But from what he had heard about the older Uchiha, he didn't want to find out if Itachi would stay true to his threat. No. Thank. You.

* * *

And so with that their affair began.

Sure their relationship had begun a bit rocky. That's only because their personalities and mostly their prides had crashed; Sasuke never trusted anyone other than his brother due to his family circumstances, and Neji detested everything around him; he only believed that good or bad things happened to people because it's their destiny. Both had a wall built around themselves. So when they had first met, everything hadn't been as 'pleasure to meet you' as it is usually among first time meetings.

Despite all that, they had grown close. Well, at least to Sasuke things had seemed that way.

Sasuke had begun feeling vulnerable and craved Neji's protection; not just any type of protection, because if he needed any protection, his brother would be there for him. This craving made him want to cling to Neji as if he were his life line. Sasuke began dreading the end of school because it meant that they would be separated overnight. That gap of separation was becoming too much each and every passing day to Sasuke. When morning came, he couldn't wait to get to school.

Sasuke had never thought that he could live with anyone else other than his brother and the house keepers who had been there from the start, anyway. But he now understood why some couples would ask each other to live together. It's only so that they could spend as much time together as possible; simply put, eliminating the overnight gap.

By the end of the senior year, Sasuke had reached a breaking point.

* * *

On the night of the senior prom, just after making love in the student council's room, Sasuke had, for the first time declared his love for Neji. Neji had always been the one saying it to Sasuke.

Sasuke remembered the night like it was happening all over again.

It had been half way since the prom had begun, when Neji had walked out of the hall with the excuse that he was going to the men's room. His date, also his fiancée had gone to the drinks table. Sasuke had recognised the moment and had walked out of the hall as well, with the excuse of going to the men's room. His date was Ino.

Even though their mentioned destinations had been the men's room, their actual destination was the student's council room.

Sasuke opened the door and found Neji sitting on the sofa in the room. Sasuke went and leaned on the table facing Neji. There was an awkwardness between them for many reasons. One being that they had both agreed to bring girls to the dance; well on Neji's part, he hadn't really had a choice in the matter; the girl had flown from China to Japan just for this, well under Neji's uncle's invitation that is.

The other reason was that it was the end of their high school life. Meaning each had to go their separate ways and pursue their chosen futures. Neji would go and do whatever his uncle wanted him to do in politics and of course marry his fiancée. And what about Sasuke? Well Sasuke would go and be home tutored on running the family business. Basically, reality was right on the door step of their romance.

Nonetheless, all that didn't mean that they couldn't still be together, right? If you pay no attention to the fact that Neji would be getting married.

It hurt. And Sasuke knew that this was his snapping point; he couldn't take it anymore.

Sasuke crossed his arms against his chest. He was afraid that he would cling to Neji if he didn't lock his arms in place. This was their ending and Sasuke didn't want to make things difficult for the both of them.

* * *

Neji studied Sasuke from the sofa. When Sasuke had walked in, he had thought that Sasuke would come and sit next to him on the sofa like he always did when they were alone. But instead, Sasuke had gone and leaned on the table in a defensive pose. And his eyes were looking anywhere but at Neji. What was wrong? Wasn't Sasuke happy to get away from the girls to be with Neji? Or was he not happy about seeing Neji's fiancée?

Neji didn't think that was so because they had talked about her, and Sasuke had said that he understood.

_Even so, that doesn't mean that he wouldn't get mad when i am with her. But there is nothing i can do about that. I don't have a choice. _Neji thought dejectedly.

Besides that, they both had known from the start that with the way things were, nothing would come out of the two of them being together. It would mean giving up everything on Neji's part.

Neji forced himself to stop thinking about the future; he needed to focus on the now. And the now was making sure that Sasuke lost the defensive posture and be himself again with Neji. It didn't sit well with him seeing so much conflict on Sasuke's face.

"Sasuke..." he called out. But the response he got for his troubles was 'hn' and a bow of the head, which shielded Sasuke's face.

"Sigh. Sasuke..." Neji tried again, but there was no difference in the response. Knowing how stubborn Sasuke was, Neji made the move; he got up from the chair and went and stood right in front of Sasuke. He waited to see if Sasuke would look up or complain about personal space. When he didn't, Neji placed himself between Sasuke's spread legs and pressed his growing erection against Sasuke's body. Sasuke looked up at the action with a gasp.

Neji brought his hands to where Sasuke's were and gently pulled them apart; giving Sasuke every opportunity to resist. And when there was no resistance, he brought them up to his cheeks and let go trusting Sasuke to leave them there. Sasuke did. Growing in confidence, Neji brought his right hand up to Sasuke's chin and tilted Sasuke's head towards him. With the other hand, he clasped the back of Sasuke's neck. Sasuke's eyes were still avoiding his. But the rosy shade on his cheeks gave Neji a boost in certainty. He leaned in and pressed his lips against Sasuke's frowning one. Sasuke stayed passive to the kiss.

Nonetheless, Neji was determined to get a reaction form Sasuke; he run his tongue around Sasuke's closed lips. Then he brought his tongue between Sasuke's lips; coaxing him to open up. When Sasuke didn't open up, Neji bit his bottom lip causing him to gasp and that gave Neji an opportunity to insert his tongue into Sasuke's mouth and deepened the kiss.

Sasuke was always stubborn when it came to giving himself up to Neji. So when he did, it was always gratifying to Neji; it made him feel good knowing that Sasuke would willingly let Neji take control. It was even more gratifying to make Sasuke quiver from his touch. And that was exactly what he had in mind.

* * *

Sasuke's knees had felt weak. He'd thanked the heavens that Neji was pressing him against the table. Desire had welled up fast just from the feel of Neji's fingers on his chin. The heat from Neji's body was too much, even through their clothes. Sasuke knew Neji was worried, but with the conflicting emotions he was feeling, he was afraid to look Neji in the eyes, because Neji had become so good at reading Sasuke's feelings. Sasuke didn't want to scare Neji with his unwanted sentiments.

When Neji's soft lips had pressed against his, Sasuke had begun loosing track of his thoughts. He had kept his lips shut though, even when Neji's tongue had begged for entrance.

_No I can't let this go any further!_ Sasuke screamed desperately in his mind. Even so, his body had already betrayed him. The bite from Neji on his lips had been his undoing.

When Neji had deepened the kiss, Sasuke couldn't help himself. His arms wound around Neji's neck; urging him to go deeper. His hips arched into Neji's and he moaned at the feel of Neji's erection against his. Sasuke tried to grind his hips against Neji's. But Neji only pressed into him further, stopping his movements. When Sasuke was about to complain, at that, Neji's hands grabbed his hips and began grinding their hard-ons. All the while his tongue searched deeper for the rich taste of Sasuke's mouth. Their tongues battled for dominance relentlessly.

They both began grabbing each other's clothes in a frenzy; desperate to feel each other's heat after only a few hours of separation. None wanting to admit that it was the chemistry between them that was making them crazy blamed the teenage hormones. The tuxedos they were wearing proved to be a little difficult to take off in a hurry. However, none gave up. Their hips and lips stayed connected. Moans filled the room.

* * *

They were so absorbed in each other that they didn't even notice the door open and close.

* * *

Neji reached for Sasuke's jacket, and managed to undo the buttons without ripping them. Before relief of victory could set in, he was met with a waistcoat. He groaned and just lifted it over Sasuke's head. He wasn't about to start undoing all the buttons. No, thank you. If it hadn't already been established, he was in a hurry.

Now the shirt, never mind that, what he needed was below the shirt. So he decided to focus on the trousers.

"Why so many clothes?" The question was almost growled out.

"Speak for yourself." Sasuke responded, equally irritated with the clothes.

Indeed, Neji had also worn the full set to Sasuke's grief. Sasuke had managed to take off only the blazer off of Neji. With both of them trying to undress each other, not much progress was being made. So Sasuke gave up and just let Neji take care of it.

Neji pulled Sasuke's trousers down along with the boxers. Sasuke helped by kicking off his shoes. And Neji removed the trousers off of Sasuke. He quickly reached for his own belt and zipper; undoing them simultaneously to free his aching, leaking member. Dear god, Sasuke's touch always made him desperate for more. He couldn't wait to be inside Sasuke.

Neji reached behind Sasuke, and lifted him onto the table. Sasuke clung to Neji tightly; not wanting to separate for even a second. He was losing it and he could feel it. Sasuke wanted to scream Neji's name again and again until it got through to Neji how much Sasuke needed him; how much he loved him even with the knowledge that Neji did not return his feeling enough to fight for their relationship.

_What? I love Neji?_ Well, hell. Sasuke had never admitted that to himself before. The thought had been there every time he thought of Neji. Nevertheless, he'd never actually put the thought into perspective. When had he fallen? Maybe it had been when they had first met? Or was it when Neji had first kissed him? Or was it when they had had sex? Sasuke couldn't bring himself to care when he had fallen for Neji. All he knew was that he had fallen. Hard.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Neji's question snapped Sasuke out of his muddled thoughts.

"Huh?" Sasuke blinked at Neji's questioning gaze confusedly. Then the question sank in.

"Um, nothing." he responded quickly to put Neji at ease.

Neji raised a disbelieving eyebrow. But then he just let it go. If Sasuke wanted to talk about something, they could talk afterwards.

* * *

Sasuke mentally slapped himself for getting distracted that Neji had noticed; maybe he shouldn't let this continue. But he had reached a point of no return; both physically and mentally. Meaning, he couldn't control himself even if he wanted to; his body, his mind along with his heart and everything else were long gone; he had given it all to Neji without he himself knowing it. Too bad Neji won't choose him in the end. And that hurt like someone was squeezing his heart with an impossibly, heavy tool.

Sasuke felt the tale tell of tears gather in his eyes. He quickly shut them to prevent Neji from seeing the tears. God he was pathetic. Falling for someone he knew wouldn't choose him from the start. Of all the people! It had to be this bastard?

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" Neji repeated his earlier question. This time though with more worry in his voice. It made Sasuke give up fighting himself. As the tears flowed, he let the emotions flow along with them. He didn't even try to hide his teary face from Neji. If this was their last time, there was no point in hiding what he truly felt for Neji. At least Neji would remember how much Sasuke had loved him even after he goes off to marry Tenten.

"Nothing is wrong. I'm just happy to be with you alone again." Sasuke lied. Just because he'd decided not to hide his feelings from Neji, it didn't mean that he wanted to ruin the moment.

The look Neji gave him said; he didn't believe a word of what Sasuke had said.

Sasuke leaned up and pressed his lips against Neji's. He poured everything he felt into that single gentle kiss. When he looked up, the worry in Neji's eyes had disappeared.

That was good; Sasuke didn't want to have Neji's worried face as his last memory of him.

"Make me yours Neji, make me yours completely tonight." Sasuke was well aware of the oversentimental things he was saying. But he couldn't help it; he didn't want to help it.

"Sasuke…" Neji moaned Sasuke's name in answer. He captured Sasuke's lips in a deep kiss.

"Neji… now… I can't… I can't take it anymore…inside me now. Touch me Neji…"

"I can't… take it anymore either. But Sasuke, I have to prepare you first. I don't want to hurt you" Neji almost pleaded with Sasuke.

"Hurry… hurry. Hurry Neji"

Neji didn't have to be asked twice. He reached between them and grabbed his hard-on and pressed it to Sasuke's. He wrapped his hand around their members and began pumping, squeezing and smearing their mixed pre-cum all over their shafts. With his other hand, he traced his fingers on Sasuke's lips. Sasuke readily took them in his mouth. Sucking them as Neji moved them in a motion that insinuated what he would be doing to Sasuke's opening. Deeming the fingers wet enough, Neji pulled them out of Sasuke's mouth with a pop. Sasuke groaned at the loss.

Nonetheless, knowing that what was to come was a lot better than sucking on the fingers, he spread his legs wider; he laid himself out on the table for Neji. Neji groaned at the sight. He had to pull away from Sasuke to take deep calming breaths. When he was sure he wouldn't blow yet, Neji pressed one of his wet fingers onto Sasuke's hole. Slowly, he pushed the finger in, feeling the muscles contract then relax as Sasuke got used to his finger. He pulled out then added another finger. Sasuke flinched. But before the pain could settle in completely, Neji's other hand began working on his throbbing member. he moved his hand up and down Sasuke's leaking member and his fingers moved in and out of Sasuke heat Simultaneously that Sasuke didn't know which one to cling on to; the fingers inside him or the hand working his cock.

"Umm…Neji… stop… ahh"

Neji carried on. And soon, he added a third finger which went unnoticed by Sasuke who was fighting not to come too soon.

Sasuke cried out when Neji's fingers touched his special spot. His hips lifted off the table as he shot his cum into Neji's hand. Sasuke rested his hips back onto the table as he regained some of his breath. He leaned onto his elbows and watched Neji who had removed the cum coated hand from Sasuke's still hard shaft onto his own hard-on. Neji coated his hard-on with Sasuke's cum. Neji moaned, and his hand began moving faster on his member.

The sight was too much; too erotic that Sasuke began panting again; ready for more.

"Neji… inside me… now!" the demand lost its desired effect due to the heavy breathing. However it was enough to snap Neji out of his pleasure induced daze. He pressed his hard-on on the little pink opening. He moved his member around the tight hole; watching as it throbbed to be penetrated.

"Neji!" Sasuke snapped as he leaned up and circled his arms around Neji's shoulders. He pushed himself on Neji's shaft. They both gasped as the head made it past the ring of muscles around Sasuke's hole. Sasuke threw his head back. His still wet eyes flowed with anew tears. Neji laid him back down and leaned down to kiss him. All the while, murmuring soothing words to Sasuke and coaxing him to relax.

"Shh, it's okay, Sasuke. Do you want me to stop?" Sasuke just shook his head as a 'no'

"Relax for me, Sasuke. Come on, open up for me."

Sasuke began relaxing from Neji's gentle soothing voice. Neji's voice was deep like it always became when he was aroused; it made Sasuke's body shiver in response.

Neji pushed all the way in until he felt his balls rest between Sasuke's ass cheeks. The heat surrounding him was heaven; he could die here happily. Okay, so maybe not die as in literally. But he wanted to freeze this moment, the moment when he and Sasuke were one.

"Beautiful… your beautiful my Sasuke. So perfect." Neji said with such emotion that Sasuke couldn't stop the waterworks. Really, how can a guy be so affectionate, yet cruel?

God! What was Neji doing? Was he trying to destroy Sasuke completely before they separated?

"Neji. Move." Sasuke demanded. He didn't want to feel anything else other than pleasure right then; he didn't want to feel the pain in his heart.

Neji pulled all the way out until only the flushed head of his member remained inside Sasuke. Then he pushed all the way back into Sasuke's heat none too gently. But Sasuke didn't mind the roughness; it distracted him from his other feelings.

"I'm sorry Sasuke, I can't be gentle, it's too much…" Neji grunted as he pushed in and out of Sasuke.

"don't be gentle, give me everything… ahh" with each thrust, Neji managed to nail the bundle of nerves in Sasuke, leaving Sasuke panting heavily and thrashing from side to side trying to reach the peak.

"Neji… more!"

"Neji… Neji…" he chanted Neji's name as if not saying it, he would lose his mind. Soon, Sasuke couldn't follow up on what was coming from his mouth.

"Neji… I love you… I love you Neji. I love you." The declaration was timed with each and every one of Neji's thrusts. Sasuke felt Neji's body tense above him, and then wet heat coated his walls. His climax hit him hard that he was sure he had blacked out for a minute there. His muscles clamped tightly around Neji's pulsing member.

Neji slumped on top of him, knowing that Sasuke could take his weight.

* * *

Neji leaned up on his elbows and kissed Sasuke sloppily. Then he pulled out of Sasuke which made them both gasp at the sensation. Getting off of Sasuke, Neji pulled him along with him. Then he passed Sasuke his clothes. Neji dressed up quickly and before Sasuke finished putting on his waistcoat, he pulled him to the sofa and sat him on his lap. He held Sasuke to his chest tightly as though he would slip away if he were to hold him gently.

Neji smiled upon remembering what Sasuke had cried out in the heat of the passion. For the first time since they had started going out, Sasuke had never once altered the words, even when Neji would say them to get a reaction out of him, Sasuke would only change the subject as if Neji hadn't just said 'I love you' to him. Neji wondered if he could get Sasuke to say the words when they weren't making love; to hear Sasuke say those words again and again-

"Choose me" Sasuke's whispered words were too loud for Neji. The bubble of his happy musings burst. Neji didn't have to ask what Sasuke meant. Just because he hadn't said anything didn't mean he hadn't thought about the choice he had to eventually make; he had hoped that he would have to make that choice at a later date; definitely not now. Not when they were still having a great moment. Well, so it had seemed. Apparently it hadn't been so to Sasuke.

"You love me Neji, I love you, then choose me" it was not said as a request nor was it put up for discussions. The statement was a plead. The plead was too much for Neji; it twisted his heart to hear the pain laced voice.

"Sasuke, I…" he began even though he had no clue on how to complete the sentence. He took a deep breath and looked Sasuke in the eyes when he said,

"Sasuke, you know I love you. I love you so much that it hurts."

Sasuke pulled away from Neji as if he had been burnt. He couldn't take the words_. No. no. no. no. no. no. no!_ How cruel could Neji be? How far would he push Sasuke? How could he say the words so easily?

"I love you so much that I would do anything for you." Sasuke knew there was a 'but' coming at the end of that statement and he didn't want to hear it damn it! He had just confessed to the guy! The guy who so proudly claims to love Sasuke!

And what does Sasuke get for his troubles?

A rejection?

The humiliation!

This couldn't be happening!

Yeah this couldn't be happening.

Sasuke masked his pain with anger. And before Neji could carry on Sasuke said,

"It's either me or… or…" dear god Sasuke couldn't even bear to say the name. But he didn't have to say the name because Neji knew who he meant.

"Sasuke, how can you ask that of me?"

"How can I ask that of you? You've got to be kidding me! Let me ask you this. Have I ever asked anything of you? I tried to pretend not to notice how I felt, I tried to ignore reality. Ignore that you have a freaking fiancée! And not even once, have I ever asked anything of you. Is it so bad that I want you for myself? Tell me, is it?" There was no response. Sasuke run his hand through his hair and he faced away from Neji. With a bitter laugh he said,

"Oh, look at me, I am getting a head of myself. Of course I can't have you. You have already decided who you are going to be with. I was such a fool to have fallen for you. Hyuuga"

Neji flinched at the cold words.

"Sasuke, that's not it"

"What's not it?" Sasuke whirled around to face Neji.

"What's not it?" he repeated the question. "Is it that you have not chosen her or me? Or… ha! Let me see you are going to tell me that you haven't got a choice. Is that what you want to tell me?"

"Sasuke, listen to me-" Neji tried to say something. But Sasuke wouldn't let him voice the rejection.

"You know what, Hyuuga, I have had enough of this. So let me make this easier for you." Neji felt his heart sink. No way! Was Sasuke breaking up with him? But he couldn't blame Sasuke for doing this. If their roles were reversed, Neji would have done the same. So he braced himself for Sasuke's next words.

Sasuke took a deep breath. This was too much; anything would be better than this. But he couldn't live with being second choice, or someone's dirty little secret. It was better that he end this now.

"Get out." There was silence.

"Sasuke"

"Get. Out. Now"

"Sasuke, I"

"What part of get out don't you understand?" the words were spat with such venom. Even the look in Sasuke's eyes complemented the spite in the words.

Neji realised that talking to Sasuke then would accomplish nothing. So he got up from the sofa and left the room. He needed to give Sasuke some time alone. Then they could talk. This couldn't be the end. Right?

**TBC**


	8. Chapter 8

For Better or Worse

Part 8

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words etc.

Sasuke glanced at the time on his wrist watch. Then he sat back in his office chair and tried to think of what to do to distract himself from thinking about Neji who was scheduled to come to Sasuke's office in…

_Shit! Two minutes?_ Sasuke panicked. Neji would walk through that door in less than two minutes and Sasuke was still fidgeting; still trying to figure out how he was going to act around Neji.

_Okay, calm down, just act natural, he hasn't been around you for a while, so he won't know how to read you like he used to, just stay calm._

At eight o'clock sharp, there was a knock at Sasuke's office door. Despite his expectancy of the said knock, Sasuke still jumped at the sound; startled. He felt foolish at his jumpy behaviour.

As you sow, so shall you reap. Sasuke had to agree with that line; he was the one who had agreed to hire Neji in spite of their unresolved past, and he had been the one to challenge Neji about the kiss last weekend. So yeah, his nervousness was the result of his own doing. Sasuke just wished that next time he does this sowing business, he sows something that would be worth reaping. Definitely not this; not something that is going to give him sweaty palms and make his heart pound painfully as if he were put up for an execution, No thank you.

So, as he proceeded to call out a 'come in', he rested his elbows on the desk and laced his fingers tightly to keep them from shaking. To make himself appear calm and collected, he rested his chin on his laced fingers.

Neji opened the door to Sasuke's office. Even though he didn't know how Sasuke was going to act about the kiss, Neji had decided to act natural. Meaning, he was not going to pretend anymore. Be damned his first idea to keep pretending and lying in order to stay at Sasuke's side; that's not what he wanted; he wanted Sasuke and everything.

"Good morning Sasu-chan" he greeted Sasuke and watched as Sasuke's eyes widened then his mouth opened as though he was about to say something, then closed. Then open again, then he just frowned.

_Gotcha_ Neji felt like giving himself a pat on the shoulder; he had made Sasuke speechless. Not that it was that hard for him, it was just that, he hadn't been sure if he could still make Sasuke show his expressions in front of him since their parting four years ago.

Sasuke frowned even more when Neji's smile broadened. Really, of all the things he had expected from Neji, this was not it; Neji calling him by the nickname he gave him in high school, and smiling at him like there was nothing amiss. Sasuke was uncertain of how to respond to that.

Sasuke was also immensely confused by how warm he had felt when Neji had used his nickname.

"Don't we have a meeting this morning?" Neji asked when there was no verbal response from Sasuke.

"Yes, let's go." Sasuke answered and made for the door to the conference room.

"And Neji, don't call me that" he commanded as he walked off.

"Don't call you what?"

"You know what."

"No I don't"

"Don't play with me, I'm really in a bad mood today" Sasuke warned. But alas! His efforts were wasted since Neji knew when Sasuke was in a bad mood or not. And right now, Sasuke was not in a bad mood.

_Don't get excited now. One step at a time, until he trusts you. _Neji thought.

* * *

The meeting had gone well as usual. Well until, it was time for Neji to say his introductions to the employees.

Sasuke watched Neji make the introduction. Damn, after four years, the man was even more hot! Sasuke couldn't help himself. His eyes travelled from Neji's silky hair, which Sasuke remembered running his fingers in while Neji pounded into him.

_Shit, don't think about that!_ Sasuke chastised himself. Nonetheless, his mind was long gone. And his body wasn't far behind, if the throb he felt below his belt was any indication.

His eyes glided to the pink lips; those lips had done wonders. An image of Neji swallowing his member flashed in his mind and Sasuke sat up from the chair hastily, then he sat back down. Everyone stared. Yes they stared shamelessly. Well who could blame them? It wasn't every day that they saw their perfect uptight boss act… well… like that. Never.

Neji noticed Sasuke's discomfort. So before anyone could say anything, Neji wrapped up the introductions and Sasuke dismissed everyone.

When Sasuke glance up after the last person had gone through the door, he was surprised to see Neji still sitting in his chair. Of all the people, Neji was not the one Sasuke wanted to have him witness his… well what do you call, something like this? Something where the boss gets aroused in front of his employees and makes a scene?

"Is there anything else you need?" he asked Neji coldly.

" As a matter of fact, there is one thing." As he said this, Neji got up from the chair and walked to Sasuke's chair. Then he sat on the table facing Sasuke.

"What was that all about?"

"What"

"Well, are you telling me that that's part of your meeting routine, where you stand up from the chair as if you have seen a ghost? No not ghost, because then your face wouldn't be flashed now would it? Sasu-chan?"

Sasuke's face seemed to redden even more. What had been going through Sasuke's mind? Neji wondered.

"Enough, we are done here." Yes they were done, but Sasuke had a problem; he had a hard on and he couldn't get up from the chair without Neji seeing it.

"No we are not done."

"Yes we are done, get away from me and start with your work" Sasuke was getting annoyed. And let's not forget his embarrassment. It was one of those moments where Sasuke wished that a great power, somewhere, really existed, and if he were to tap his foot on the floor three times, the whole floor would open up and swallow him whole.

"Sasuke, I can't start work yet, because it's my first day and you are supposed to give me what you want done." Neji responded smartly.

"Smart ass." Sasuke mattered.

Neji noticed Sasuke's hard on and his body appreciated it greatly because now, his mind was becoming hazy with lust . As aforementioned his useful part of the brain was shutting down. So anything he thought of, was 'consequence free'. He began leaning towards Sasuke.

Sasuke flinched back and the flinch didn't go unnoticed by Neji. Even so, Neji tried to harden his heart to not react to Sasuke's response to him.

Sasuke leaned further back into the chair, Neji couldn't be doing this, no! He couldn't be doing this, not here, not now, not ever! Sasuke didn't want to go back to that time; to the time where he thought the world of Neji and he would have given up the world just to have Neji.

How could Neji be so cruel? Why did he come back? What had he been up to in the past four years? Did he marry? Was he still married? Did he have children?; a family? Had he been happy? Sasuke wanted to know all of this and more, yet he couldn't bring himself to ask Neji; he didn't want to hear it. Sasuke wondered why he hadn't kept his mouth shut, that night four years ago.

As Neji's face came closer, Sasuke shut his eyes tightly, maybe closing his eyes would shut this whole thing out, then maybe when he opens them, it would had just been a dream.

_Please don't come any closer, please don't come any closer! Leave me alone please before it's too late. I can't do this again. _Sasuke begged in his mind.

Four years. It had taken him four years to come back to Japan, and he had come back because he had thought that he was finally over Neji. But he guessed all that effort had been for nothing because since Neji had come back, all he had done was worry and remember the past.

Neji's lips touched his. The heat that small kiss ignited in his body made his heart ache. Sasuke wanted to cry. Why? Why was it so easy for him to give in to Neji's touch? His whole being craved for it, even though his mind told him no.

As he opened his lips to deepen the kiss, Sasuke let the tears he had been holding back flow. But he still kept his eyes tightly shut.

The words from that night four years ago echoed in his mind.

'Choose me.'

Sasuke's body shook with emotions. God he was pathetic.

Neji pulled back; there was something wrong with Sasuke, something entirely different from what he had thought.

Sasuke was crying. And Neji's heart ached to take away the pain, to make Sasuke smile. Let him be angry. But not cry.

Sasuke opened his watery eyes and Neji held his gaze. The pain, the confusion, the anger and something else. Those eyes were always so easy to read. But at that moment, Neji wished he couldn't read them.

Sasuke looked down then said,

"Please leave. I will send for you when you are settled in your office." Neji hesitated. He felt a sense of de javu; Sasuke had sent him away that night and that had been the end, should he leave? Or wait until Sasuke calmed down to talk. Deciding that this time there wasn't anything holding him back from pursuing Sasuke even if he leaves the country, Neji silently walked out of the conference room and prayed to have another chance.

After the door clicked shut, Sasuke leaned on the table. He couldn't believe what had just happened, he cried, that was so not cool. And that was not the biggest problem, he had been the one to deepen the kiss even though it had been Neji who had started it. The message was very clear to all concerned; he wanted Neji. But what the hell were the tears about?

"Sigh" _Never mind. I need to focus on building my team. Maybe I should just let Neji go. _ Sasuke thought as he got up to go back to his office.

"No. definitely not. I can't just tell him 'oh I have decided not to hire you anymore' after telling him yes. His pride would not let him.

With that decided Sasuke made his way to his office.

* * *

In the afternoon, just before lunch, Sasuke had called Neji's office phone. With a neutral voice he asked if he could come into Neji's office.

After saying yes, Neji put the phone down and waited for Sasuke to come into the office. He suddenly became nervous. Not that he hadn't been nervous earlier, it was just that, he had made himself focus on settling into the office that he had sort of forgotten about the kiss of last weekend.

Now that morning's kiss, and Sasuke's tears… well, what the hell was he supposed to do? He hadn't thought about it much. Now Sasuke was coming into the office. Neji just hoped that things go well.

Well, things had gone well. As though in an unspoken agreement between the two, the last weekend's was not mentioned, and the kiss that morning was not spoken about.

* * *

A week later…

Sasuke was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice a person walking in front of him until he bumped into the person and the said person landed on his bottom. He felt irritation course throughout his body. And without thinking he yelled,

"Look where you're going. Idiot."

"Who are you calling an idiot, you bastard!" the person Sasuke had bumped into yelled back at him. The glare that was directed at him didn't even faze him.

Then, suddenly, the person screamed and run off like hell.

Confused, Sasuke decided to continue on his way to his brother's office. His brother wasn't in the office, so he decided to make himself comfortable while he waited.

Itachi walked into his office. In the office was someone sitting on one of the sofas. That someone was his little brother Sasuke who was supposed to be here the day before.

"What makes you think you can just waltz here whenever you feel like?" asked Itachi.

"Hello to you too, Brother. And you called me here." Sasuke greeted his brother.

"I called you to come the day before and you come in today?"

"Well I have work you know."

_The work that you dump on me sometimes._ Thought Sasuke.

"Well you won't be having that work if I feel like it"

"Come on now brother, you know I had to complete or the important documents before coming here. Besides, you would be chewing my head off if I hadn't completed them." Sasuke said by way of defence.

"Oh well, I guess as long as you are here. And besides you have come on a good day when there is someone I would like you to meet."

"I see, I thought I was only meeting your adopted twins. Anyway why is there an idiot wandering the halls of the mansion?"

"By any chance is that idiot blond?" Asked Itachi with a menacing aura which Sasuke didn't notice, hence he replied:

"Yeah, blond and loud." Sasuke replied.

"Ah. I see." Itachi said in a playful tone.

"In that case…" he paused as if to build up the suspense.

"Don't you ever call him an idiot ever again. Sasuke" Itachi banged his hands on the table and fixed a deadly glare towards his little brother; who had the nerve to insult the person he loved. And that said person was making him irate at that moment.

Itachi's eyes appeared to glint red for a moment; and Sasuke knew that when that happens, it meant his brother was really serious and nearly out of control; that meant whomever he sets his eyes on to destroy would not be discriminated by who they were. Such as a brother. Did this mean that Itachi cared about this blond that much that he would destroy his own brother?

_Sigh, afraid so. _Thought Sasuke. He had been scared before for coming on the wrong day; now he really was frightened for his life.

"Sorry." He apologized.

"Well, that blond you met is the one I would like to talk to you about and the twins of course. You see, his name is Uzumaki Naruto." Itachi paused for a reaction from his brother. When Sasuke seemed to lose some blood from his face, Itachi smirked; knowing that his brother remembered what had happened six years ago when he had called him during his… time with Naruto in the hotel.

"You see, a few days ago, I adopted two five years old boys without knowing their parent. I sent out posters for a babysitter. And the first person I got was Naruto. After years and years of wishing for Naruto to come back to me, yesterday, he came back. Though it wasn't because he came back for me, but because he came for a job. When I saw Naruto, I noticed some resemblance between the twins and him."

Itachi had proceeded to tell Sasuke about Naruto and how he had messed up again, by kissing him when he was supposed to earn his trust.

"He still responds to me though, even after six years." Itachi said, and Sasuke could see a flicker of hope in his brother's eyes

"So he still responds to you. Does that mean there is a chance that he still has feelings for you?" asked Sasuke hopefully. Then, he realised that that question applied to he himself as well. Did he still have feelings for Neji?

_This and that are different things!_ He screamed in his mind.

"I'm sure he does, just like I do. But he is afraid to trust me after what I had done to him, and what he has been through all his life. That is why yesterday's move was not really a trust earning move."

Sasuke wanted to reassure his brother but he didn't want to give his brother force hope, because the end results depended on Itachi and Naruto. He sympathised with them though; he and Neji were in a similar situation. However Sasuke was not going to mention any of it; his brother had his own problems to deal with.

_What a pair of brothers we are._ Sasuke thought dejectedly, as he walked out of Itachi's office.

* * *

Sasuke clung to the wall of the hallway corner, with all the things that had happened in Itachi's office, he had completely forgotten that his assistant had come too; well it was more like his assistant dragged him into his own car and was driven here.

What had really happened was, Sasuke had opened the door of his mansion to go to his car for his journey to his brother's place when he was greeted by his assistant Neji, who was leaning on his car in a pose that said 'you wanna piece of me'

"Get off my car." Sasuke had demanded

"Morning Sasuke." Neji had greeted him; unfazed by the command.

"I heard you are going to your brother's place. So I came to be your driver."

"I don't need you. I already have a chauffeur" Sasuke dismissed him.

"Come let me take that bag for you, as for your chauffeur, he is a little busy, I sent him to the shop for me." He grabbed Sasuke's bag and put it in the boot of the car. He opened the passenger's door and pushed Sasuke in the car. Before Sasuke could do anything he started the car.

"You. Stop the car now. And how did you get my car keys."

"Oh, I got them from your driver. So just relax and let me do the driving"

Sasuke couldn't argue anymore but he made a note to kill him when they get back to work. So all he had to do while at his brother's house was to avoid the bastard as much as possible. This guy annoyed the hell out of him. Now here he was hiding like an idiot in the corners.

Neji passed by and Sasuke let out the breath he hadn't even realised he had been holding.

* * *

For some reason Itachi and his assistant had decided to go somewhere, So, Naruto was left in the hands of Sasuke and Ino, Itachi's stylists. More like in the hands of Ino, since Sasuke was busy avoiding Neji who was around Naruto.

Naruto, Ino, Sasuke and two of Itachi's bodyguards were sitting in the lounge when Neji walked in the room with the twins and their teachers, Kakashi and Iruka.

"There you are Sasuke." He greeted with an unusual cheerfulness, which made Sasuke wince from shivers running thought out his body from it. Then he decided to ignore him and walked out the room; he didn't even notice the kids hanging onto each of Neji's arms. Rude much. You may say, but Sasuke was so confused he didn't think talking to Neji would be a good idea; he didn't want to end up saying the wrong thing.

* * *

The table which could accommodate sixteen people was set. That was one of the tables in the mansion; there were other tables, larger than this one. So everyone sat in their chairs ready for the meal to be served.

Itachi sat in the high chair and kept glancing at Naruto who sat to his right and next to him sat the twins; Fuyu then Natsu. Across from Naruto sat Sasuke who looked as uncomfortable as Naruto was. The only difference was that Naruto was uncomfortable from sitting next to Itachi and Sasuke was uncomfortable from sitting next to Neji who was gliding his fingers along Sasuke's thigh.

Sai, one of Itachi's bodyguards sat next to Neji, and he looked like he didn't even want to be there; next to him sat Kisame, also one of Itachi's bodyguards, who looked like he was waiting for something exciting to happen. Sakura, who had joined the group later in the day, sat next to Kisame across from Ino who was giving her evils equalling her's.

Ino and Sakura's rivalry was… well the Uchiha brothers' fault? Not quite; but it was because they worked for the Uchiha brothers. They would argue on who worked for the better Uchiha brother, whose boss was the most handsome or something like my boss is better because he is the main president, And so on. And they would go on and on about it until the insults would transit to their bodily features.

Across from Kisame sat Deidara who was busy having a conversation on random topics with Natsu. Iruka who sat next to Ino was bent on killing Kakashi with just a glare, and Kakashi who sat next to Sakura without his book but with dark shades that were a little more acceptable to be worn indoors than earlier ones, seemed to enjoy Iruka's death glares. There were other guests who were supposed to join them that night but they couldn't make it.

"Hey Sasuke, you haven't met Fuyu-chan and Natsu-chan properly. Well Natsu-chan, introduce yourself to uncle Sasu." Neji said; wanting to press more of 'his' Sasuke's buttons. He smirked; the day will come when he will call him 'his' without any hesitation. Neji was graced with an anticipated glare from Sasuke.

_Dear god, stop it already_. Sasuke wanted to scream that out loud but, well you can understand the circumstances.

* * *

The next day, everyone had been busy preparing for that evening's party. However, Itachi had buried himself in his office the whole day. Despite Sasuke's efforts to drag him out; Sasuke had even tried sending the twins to distract Itachi from work so he would stop working. Sadly the twins came back a few minutes later with Ino.

"Ino, why do you have the kids?" asked an annoyed Sasuke.

"Well, because I was called to go get them by Itachi-san." She replied with atone that said 'isn't it obvious?'

"Well you should have left them there."

"And get fired? No, thank you very much. I love my job. And speaking of job, don't distract me anymore, don't you know I am in charge of everyone's clothing for this evening? Well not you and Neji anyway, because you have Sakura for that." Sasuke didn't even get to say anything when,

"Oh, that reminds me you two are coming with me. You need to try on your little cute suits." She giggled and took Fuyu and Natsu by theirs hands and walked away from Sasuke. Natsu called out,

"bye uncle Sasu" to whom Sasuke just waved his hand; he was confused on what had just happened; Ino was yelling at him one minute and the next thing he knew was that she was giggling with the twins, what a change of moods. Moreover, that had distracted him from reacting to the nickname. He could never get used to Ino's mood swings. Though she was a nice girl and that is why Sasuke had recommended her to his brother.

_Women_. He thought.

Damn Neji for telling the twins to call him Uncle Sasu; well he liked the Uncle part, not the Sasu part; again, that just brought back high school memories.

* * *

Sasuke was bored, so it wasn't a surprise that he had snuck away from the stifling group and the flirting women at the party. Most of all it gave him the chance to get away from Neji.

Sasuke sat on one of the one sitter sofas in the lounge area of the Mansion's hall. Much to his displeasure, Neji sat across from him; pointedly flirting with him. Sasuke thanked the gap in between, which was occupied by a coffee table; and much to Neji's disappointment.

Neji's mind was playing different scenarios about what he could do with Sasuke in the suit; he had seen Sasuke a million times over in a suit, but he just could never get tired of the image; more like he wished he could put that suit on and off Sasuke's body himself. Sasuke wore a dark blue suit and tie and a white shirt. His black slick shoes were a must to finish off his look. His hair didn't change its usual style, but that didn't ruin his sophistication.

Sasuke was feeling annoyed. He couldn't help glancing at Neji's body now and then. Neji wore a cream suit with a cream tie. Even the shoes were cream, with the exception of the shirt which was brown. His dark brown hair was let down; Sasuke felt like running his fingers through it; to feel what it felt like between his fingers again. He shook his head at what he had just been thinking about and quickly, he put on his annoyed expression on his face.

Before the party, ended, Sasuke had gone to bed. So had Neji; Disappointedly.

* * *

The next day, Sasuke had had to endure another time with Neji when he had to baby sit his brother's twins with Neji. But he had gotten away, when Natsu, one of the twins had begun crying and not knowing what to do Sasuke had gone to Deidara's office.

"Sasuke-kun, what's wrong?" Deidara asked referring to the sobbing Natsu.

"Well, you see, he was all happy a few minutes ago, then he suddenly started crying saying he wants his Papa. Neji couldn't calm him down and I couldn't either. He calmed down only when I told him that I will take him to you because you know where his papa is."

"Well I don't know. So please leave the office I'm trying to work here-" a ring on the phone cut him short.

After the phone call, Deidara rubbed his forehead; chasing away the oncoming migraine.

"Need some help?" Sasuke asked noticing Deidara's fatigue.

"Sure." He quickly answered; what a good idea; why hadn't he thought of that earlier? Sasuke could have helped him from the start.

"Alright then. But you need to step out for a moment, walk in the garden or something for some fresh air." Instructed Sasuke. Deidara didn't even complain like he always did whenever Sasuke tried to give him instructions; he would respond with a 'you are not my boss' which would fire up an argument.

It was evening and Neji and Sasuke had to go back to their houses.

* * *

A fortnight, and a few restless nights along with overworking, both Sasuke and Neji had had enough; of just flirting, if not that, avoiding each other; the avoiding part, hadn't been so successful since they worked closely with each other.

The one to make the move was Neji. They were walking to the car park.

"Sasuke we need to talk." He wasn't asking, he was demanding it. And damn if that didn't tick Sasuke off. Bastard.

"hn." Was his smart response.

" Is that a yes or no?"

"When?" Sasuke asked, completely ignoring Neji's question.

"Sigh, anytime, today, tomorrow." Even though he had had enough, Neji wasn't going to push things; he was going to let Sasuke make the decisions.

"It's Friday, so let's talk tonight." Sasuke said nonchalantly. But he was as nervous as hell.

_Does Neji want to talk about the same things as me? _

After two weeks of having Neji around, Sasuke couldn't lie to himself anymore; he still loved Neji, and he wanted him as much as he had wanted him when they had been younger. And Neji had made it clear that he wanted Sasuke. However, Sasuke wasn't going to go into this head first like he had done before; this time he wanted to know that he was the only one beforehand. He supposed he could have found out if Neji was married or not from his brother, or he could have hired someone to dig up Neji's personal life. But it hadn't felt right; Sasuke wanted, no. he needed to hear it from Neji.

"Okay, so do you want to talk about it over dinner or come to my place?" Neji felt stupid asking such a dull question; he knew very well that whatever, they were going to talk about, could not be discussed during a meal in public.

"Your place, I guess." Sasuke didn't see anything wrong with going to Neji's place. Actually, he didn't want to go back to his silent, empty mansion. He was still in the process of hiring people.

"Okay, follow me in your car."

* * *

Parking his car besides, Neji's car, Sasuke took deep calming breaths before getting out of the car.

Silently Neji led the way to his apartment door. Upon opening the door, Neji let Sasuke get in first before following. As soon as the door clicked shut, Neji pulled Sasuke to him. Now Sasuke's back rested against his chest.

"Hey, what the hell, let go." Sasuke tried to get away, but Neji's arms wound around his waist even tighter.

"Sorry, Sasuke, I can't help it, I can't do this pretend business anymore." Neji confessed as he buried his face in Sasuke's shoulder.

"What are you talking about? Pretend? Pretend to what? Anyway, I came here so that we could talk, let go so we can talk." Even though he said that, Sasuke didn't want Neji to let go.

"Sorry, Sasuke, I'm so sorry for all the pain I caused you, I know I hurt you and if you can't forgive me, I will understand. But the truth is, I love you, I have always loved you and there is no sigh of that changing. I know I hurt you Sasuke, but you have always been the one for me, always been my choice. I love you so much. I was a fool, and had no courage to fight for us, but if I could, I would go back to that time, and never leave the room, even if you had to beg me to. I would have never left you. Can I make it up to you, Sasuke? Please." Neji didn't care for dignity anymore. What was dignity, without Sasuke?

Sasuke was stunned into silence, of all the things, he hadn't expected Neji to break down. He could feel the tears on his shoulder along with the shaking of Neji's body. When Neji slid against the door to the floor still clinging to Sasuke, Sasuke went down with him. Sitting between Neji's legs, and leaning back into Neji's chest, Sasuke rested his head, on Neji's shoulder, and just let his own tears flow unbidden.

What had gone wrong with them? In any other circumstances, would things have turned out differently? If Sasuke had stayed overseas and hadn't come back to japan that senior year, would he have met Neji? If this was meant to be, would they have met anyway, even if they didn't meet before.

Endless what ifs, which Sasuke couldn't give answers to run in his head.

Why did things have to turn out like this? They were both deeply in love with each other, but circumstances and family duties had torn them apart. Fate had brought them back together, but with unhealed wounds; lost trust. Love hurts. But why is it that people still go for it? Did the wounds heal in time? Was the pain worth it?

Was Neji worth the pain?

**TBC**


	9. Chapter 9

For Better or Worse

Part 9

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words etc.

Sasuke took a few deep, calming breaths. What the hell? This was becoming ridiculous; Sasuke loved Neji and it was more than apparent that Neji loved him; in simple terms, their love was mutual. So what the hell was the problem?

Miscommunication and indecisiveness that was what, which had led to mistrusts and pretty much accumulated into this. Now what? Just because he knew that Neji loved him too didn't mean he could just get rid of all the mistrusts and the pain, and rekindle their relationship? He guessed he could, Right?

Sasuke didn't place the blame on Neji. Because frankly, Sasuke had put pressure on Neji, he had given Neji an ultimatum in a situation that had been difficult for him; Sasuke understood that. But back then, he had been too consumed with rejection, jealousy and the conflicting feelings he had just been discovering about how he felt about Neji. Most of all, the ending of their high school and knowing that they would be going their separate ways had made him desperate to act on what he had been feeling.

The one thing he hadn't thought about had been how Neji had been feeling about the whole situation. And that made him feel like the world's biggest jerk. He had been selfish and he understood that now.

Nonetheless, what he had felt then was justified; anyone would have felt that way considering the circumstances. Going overseas on the same night had been impulsive, but Sasuke had felt like if he couldn't have Neji, then there was nothing for him, in Japan; he couldn't stay in Japan knowing that the person he loved was married and lived just an hour away from him, he couldn't take that. He had the means to leave the country, so why not?

So on that night, the moment Neji had walked away from him in the room, Sasuke had called his brother and had begged him to take him away from the country to anywhere, as long as it wasn't Japan. Itachi had taken him to the airport and had sent him to England with a few calls here and there. With that sorted, Sasuke had decided to stay in England despite his brother's insistence for him to go back to Japan. After a while, Itachi gave up and just hoped that his brother would come back on his own; when he is ready.

During all that, time, Itachi had made a few none so too 'inconspicuous' offers to make Neji pay, and Sasuke had firmly declined the offers; just because Neji had hurt him didn't mean he himself wanted to hurt Neji; he couldn't stand it.

To think less about Neji, Sasuke had buried himself in his studies, and after, four years, he had felt that he was ready to let the past be the past; meaning it didn't hurt anymore thinking about Neji. At least that's what he had convinced himself if you consider the turn of the events, now.

* * *

Okay, time to do something about the situation before his ass got numb sitting on the floor.

"Say, Neji."

"Hmm?"

"Can, we sit somewhere comfortable? I'm going a little numb sitting here on the floor."

"What? You don't like leaning onto my chest?" there was laughter in the question and Sasuke had to smile, at least, they both had calmed down from the water works.

"I could lean on you however you want, as long as I won't go numb. Is that okay with you?"

"Fine. Come with me." Neji whined playfully. After getting up, he led Sasuke to his sofa. Then he pulled him to him and sat him between his legs.

"So, hungry?"

"Yeah" Sasuke answered unsurely; he hadn't been eating properly the past week or so, but food had been the last thing on his mind. However, now that Neji mentioned it, he was kinder hungry. No very hungry.

"Okay then, I will call for takeout, I haven't been to the grocery in a while and I don't even want to know how the fridge is." Neji said as he reached form his mobile in his trousers' pocket.

"That's lazy." Sasuke reprimanded him.

"Well, do you want to start looking for food now?"

"No"

"Takeout, it is."

* * *

When Neji finished, making the call, Sasuke figured it was time that he sorted, his part of their situation since Neji had done so earlier.

"Neji, I am sorry."

"Huh?"

"I said, I'm sorry, for all that I have done, I know you are thinking, I shouldn't be sorry because it's your entire fault, but that's not true, I had acted rashly, like a kid. I didn't even think things through, before making a decision. I couldn't have what I had wanted, so like a kid I had acted, like that. We should have talked. Do you realise that, since my brother had talked to us, we hadn't talked about our relationship at all, until that day. To be honest, I didn't think we needed to talk, but now, I think we should have talked. Maybe it wouldn't have changed a lot, but we both would have known where we stood."

"Sasuke, i-"

"Look, Neji, me too, I have always loved you. Even when I had known that you had a fiancée, I still wanted you. Maybe that's why I never tried talking to you about our relationship and my feelings, because then, it would all become real, and the reality was that with a fiancée in the picture, there was no hope for us two. Even, so, I loved you and I still do. The past weeks, I have been angry and confused because, after four years, with just a smile, you make me want to cling to you like a kid."

_Wow, this is huge, Sasuke, saying his feelings plainly like this. That's new and I will be damned if I don't like it. I love it. But I have to tell Sasuke the truth, or else this relationship will go nowhere like before._

Neji turned Sasuke's head and kissed him deeply. He felt like crying again. Dammit it, he was acting like a little girl. But he didn't care.

There was a knock on the door.

"Shit, what the hell?" Neji had forgotten about the food. What timing.

* * *

Neji leaned against the bed's headboard. Again, Sasuke was leaning on his chest.

They had eaten the meal in silence. But their eyes had met across the table occasionally making them both smile sheepishly like love struck teens.

After, the meal, Neji had led Sasuke, to his room. He had taken, Sasuke's suit jacket and the tie off, then he had taken his own Jacket and tie off. He had then climbed on the bed and beckoned Sasuke to come up. Sasuke had done so. But in place of doing what any newly rekindled couple would do, upon hitting the bed, Neji just held Sasuke to his chest. Before they went any further, Neji felt that he had to tell Sasuke the truth, otherwise he would be feeling guilty throughout the whole thing. As if he hadn't been feeling that way since that day, four years ago.

Sasuke was content doing nothing with Neji. Not that he didn't want to. Dear god he wanted to! His pants were becoming tighter and tighter every time Neji's fingers glided up and down his stomach. But he could hold out. He had sensed that Neji wanted to say something; he had looked a little guilty during the meal and his body had been tense throughout.

He was content. That is until Neji interrupted the silence.

" Sasuke, there is something I need to tell you."

"What is it?"

"I don't know where to start, but I feel that I owe you an explanation why I never went after you, even when I had known where to find you. Before you think I am a stalker, your brother had told me, after, well, making sure that I had been graced with a few threats here and there and of course a kick to the stomach. I don't blame him, I deserved it. if I could, I would have done it myself, you know, kick my stomach-"

"What the hell are you talking about? My brother kicked you and threatened you? After telling me he won't do anything to you? I can't believe this! How could he? After I told him not to hurt you! I am so going to kiss his ass, that bastard of a brother." Sasuke fumed in Neji's arms.

Dejectedly, Sasuke added, "I guess I should believe he could do that. My brother is not one not to have his way. And if I talk to him, he will just tell me he was following through the promise he had made to you not to hurt me. Or else. But come on! Does he still think I'm five or something?"

" Sasuke, it doesn't matter. Besides, that's not what I need to tell you?" Neji tried to calm Sasuke down.

"What, now, you are going to tell me that indeed you did marry?" Sasuke snapped. He wasn't mad at Neji but his brother, and Neji knew that. However, he didn't think that would be the case after Sasuke hears what he had to say.

"Indeed, I did marry her." The hasty way that Sasuke pulled away from his arms was a little painful, even though he had expected a similar reaction from Sasuke. Neji couldn't blame him, while Sasuke had been suffering, he had married like Sasuke had said that night.

But he had a valid reason for that. Neji only hoped that Sasuke would see it as such after hearing the rest of it.

Sasuke was looking at him with such sorrow, his eyes were clear, that Neji had betrayed him. But with courage, he faced Neji and said,

"And now? Are you still married?" the question was asked in a way that was clear that Sasuke didn't want to know. But Neji was determined to let the truth out in the open. Whatever the end results, that depended on Sasuke.

"No, I am not married. And before you ask any questions, let me tell you the whole thing, please just hear me out."

"Fine, go." Sasuke was brooding.

"Well, first off, I couldn't go after you because, I was married, but, that's not the main reason. I guess I should start from the start, and don't interrupt me until I finish. That night Sasuke, she had seen us… Tenten had seen us in the council room. She hadn't said anything to me after I had gone back to the dance, and she hadn't said anything until a few days before our wedding. I had called her to talk about stopping the wedding, even if it meant risking it all. I couldn't go through with the wedding and I couldn't do it knowing that I wanted you, and I didn't want to pretend to be attracted to her, soon or later, my uncle and her parents would have noticed the lack of an heir."

"But she had refused, she said that she wasn't ready yet, but the wedding was in less than a week, if we were going to do something, it had to be then, but she had refused. Then, she had told me that she knew, she said, she had seen us at the prom. But she wasn't going to tell my uncle, and that she didn't want to be responsible for starting quarrels between the Hyuugas and the Uchihas. But she was not afraid to do so, if I refused her, apparently her dad would cut her off if she didn't marry me. She told me that she didn't care if I slept with men as long as I married her and pretended to love her."

"Not knowing what to do, I had talked to my cousin, Hinata, you know her. She was the only one who already knew because I had told her. You must understand, you have Itachi to talk to about things like this, and the only one I trust in my family is my cousin, I know she wouldn't betray me. And Hinata had promised that she would keep the secret if it killed her. And I knew that, and also, her royalty is what had made me hate myself for involving her. So not to get her in trouble since her dad already disliked her, I decided to go through with the wedding, well, at least until I find a way out of it without getting my cousin in trouble."

* * *

The other reason Neji wasn't saying was that, he had felt abandoned when Sasuke had just up and left without talking to him properly. Neji had been ready to abandon his uncle's dreams for the future for him to be with Sasuke. Only to find out that Sasuke had left the country. Feeling angry and helpless, Neji had felt like going through with the wedding wasn't such a bad idea if Sasuke wanted him to, right? By leaving the country Sasuke had pretty much given the sign that they were over and Neji could do whatever the hell he wanted.

And so, the wedding had gone on. On the wedding night, since their wedding had been traditional, they weren't expected to do what western cultures do on the wedding night. So that one had been easy to avoid. but hey still shared the bed since an heir was expected.

A few days later however, Neji had woken up suddenly, breathing hard, as if he'd had a nightmare. To some, it might not have been so, but to Neji, it had been a nightmare, he had dreamt that Sasuke had come back, only to find that Neji was married, Sasuke had walked away from him, in spite of Neji's desperate calls for him to wait.

What Neji hadn't realised was that, he had been crying in his sleep and there were tears on his face, which Tenten had noticed; she had witnessed his writhing in agony in his sleep.

Trying to comfort him, the only way she knew how, she had kissed him. In his dazed state, Neji hadn't pushed her away.

Sasuke didn't want him, at least there was someone who wanted him. So he was not going to push them away.

Without realising it, Neji had found himself on his back, that someone had straddled his hips. Dazedly, Neji had let that someone strip him of his pyjama bottoms and undo his pyjama top buttons.

Then there was a hand wrapping around his soft member. He had noticed the difference ; this hand was soft and small, whereas Sasuke's was bigger and muscular, and also sure of what it was doing.

Neji's member had responded from being touched. But he found that he was getting harder by thinking that it was Sasuke touching him.

"Think of me as Sasuke." The voice of that someone, had encouraged him and Neji had listened. His mind was long gone into Sasuke la la land that whatever had happened, Neji had believed it had been just a dream.

But alas! He had realised the truth the hard way…

* * *

"What? You had sex with her? How could you?" Sasuke exclaimed. His face showed all the hurt he felt. Neji had cheated on him! But they hadn't been together! Still Sasuke felt the sting in his chest. Neji claimed that he loved him, how could he do that if he really loved Sasuke? Even though he had imagined Tenten to be Sasuke.

"Sasuke, I am sorry, believe me, if I could go back in time, there are a lot of things I would change. Because that one time, even though I hadn't been very much aware of it, there had been consequences. After that, I couldn't have backed out of the marriage, that one time had made it official that escape was impossible even if I wanted to. But nine months and half later, she was the one who had left." Neji said, but there was something he couldn't say; how was Sasuke going to react?

"What are you trying to say? That you had fallen in love with her because of that one time?"

"No!" exclaimed Neji.

"Then what? I don't think I understand." Sasuke pleaded for Neji to be just playing a joke with him. He didn't want to think about why Neji had stayed in the marriage even though he had an idea why.

"Sasuke, what I am trying to say is that I have a son."

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10

For Better or Worse

Part 10

**Reading guide**

_Italic - thoughts_

"Normal speech"

'Quoted speech, words etc.'

"Sasuke, what I am trying to say is that I have a son."

The silence was too much that Neji could hear his own heart pounding in his ears like a countdown gong. The anticipation for Sasuke's response was killing him. Sasuke hadn't said anything since Neji had said he has a son. He desperately wanted to know what was going on in Sasuke's head; what he thought of Neji now. What he planned to do?

Neji tried to comfort himself by telling himself that he would understand if Sasuke decides not to get involved with him. Anyone wouldn't want to get involved with someone who had a child from another relationship. But the one thing Neji would definitely not understand would be if Sasuke were to make him chose between him and his son. Neji knew Sasuke would never do that. But at this point, with all the surprises, for lack of a better word, that Neji had brought into their relationship he wouldn't be surprised if Sasuke were to just say to hell with him.

Nonetheless, Neji prayed for Sasuke's understanding. He hoped Sasuke wouldn't say to hell with Neji and everything else.

When the silence persisted, Neji lost his patience.

"Sasuke say something, please."

The response that he got from Sasuke wasn't what he had expected.

Sasuke laughed humourlessly.

"Are you kidding me!" Sasuke yelled when his laughter died down. Neji didn't say anything.

Sasuke closed his eyes to try and block out the tears he knew were about to fall. When he felt that he had them under control, he opened his eyes and just stared at Neji; he tried to figure out if Neji was just fooling with him. Neji's stare told him that he wouldn't find anything else other than what Neji had in his eyes; honesty. Neji wasn't lying one bit. This was all happening and it was as real as they come.

Yet again, Sasuke found himself thinking that this was becoming ridiculous.

"Sigh, this is becoming ridiculous." He said nonchalantly. Frankly, Sasuke didn't know what to feel. Betrayed? Already there. Resigned? Could be. Angry? Would you really ask that in this situation?

Neji said nothing; he didn't want to try and get himself out of the situation; it was what it was and he wasn't going to try and make it less of what it was.

Sasuke went and sat at the edge of the bed facing away from Neji. He rested his legs on the floor and he rested his elbows on his legs. Sasuke leaned his forehead in his hands.

He couldn't believe this was happening. Oh wait, scratch that, he could believe this was happening. In all his time since meeting Neji, a lot of things had taken place that Sasuke could never believe that they would happen while he was involved. Being dominant by nature, Sasuke couldn't count the amount of times he had submitted to Neji in more ways than one; that had happened. Due to other circumstances, Sasuke never trusted anyone other than his brother, but Neji had gained that trust without a sweat, that had happened.

And the biggest of the all happenings, Sasuke had one that he still couldn't believe, and that was his falling in love with Neji and confessing to him. That had happened. Damn it! Sasuke didn't think Neji could surprise him anymore. But alas! Since when had anything concerning him and Neji had gone according to his wishes since he had started dating Neji?

Sasuke had never been a kids' person. Really, since he had realised that he would never be with a woman, Sasuke hadn't thought that far into family. Well, that is until his brother decided to adopt kids about a month ago. That is when Sasuke had felt like he was missing something; he wished he could have children of his own. At one point, he had even begun thinking how it would be like to have a family of his own; just him and Neji and an adopted kid or kids. He had even wondered what a kid born from Neji would be like. Or what it would be like to have a kid born from him?

They could have adopted or if they wanted kids connected to them, they could have had a surrogate mother. Although the idea of a surrogate mother made Sasuke a little uncomfortable; what if the mother got attached to the baby? That meant involving a third person into the relationship; Sasuke didn't like that idea. So adopting it was.

Despite his wishful thinking, Neji already had a son; Sasuke hadn't been involved in the whole process. From what Neji had said of when it had happened, Sasuke knew the child was three years old. Three years. Sasuke was already an outsider, he would have loved to have been there, raising the baby from birth together with Neji; the baby would have recognised him as family, now he would be a stranger to Neji's child.

And the question is. Where did he fit in in all of this? How would he fit in with Neji and his child?

Sasuke felt betrayed that Neji had gone ahead in what could have been their future. But there was nothing he could do about it now, was there?

Sasuke sighed as he flopped on his back onto the bed; he felt completely drained, powerless and very much useless.

Sure Neji had a son. So what? Could it be that Neji had wanted to let him be a part of his son's world for inviting him here? Or was it to rub it in his face that, although he had abandoned Neji, Neji had found an anchor in someone else.

Sasuke had two choices; he could stay with Neji and see where he fit in, in Neji and his son's life or he could just say 'to hell with everything' and walk out right now and never look back.

"Neji" Sasuke called out while staring at the ceiling.

"Yeah, Sasuke?" Neji responded quickly. God, he was a nervous wreck; Sasuke hadn't said anything since he had said 'this is becoming ridiculous'. Neji had now convinced himself that Sasuke would say to hell with him.

_And now here it comes…_ Neji thought dejectedly.

When he knew that he had Neji's attention, Sasuke began.

"Neji, I am still not sure how I feel about this whole situation. Dear god, being with you is like being on a rollercoaster. And I'm still not used to the rush feeling of it. Sometimes I don't even know what is up or what is down. And at times I feel like I am living someone else's life. I don't like not knowing what my future holds, I don't like surprises. And I definitely do not like sharing. That means from now on it will just be me and you in this relationship. But right now, I don't know how I fit into your and your son's life, but I would like to see how I fit in. you might have told me about your son for other… I don't know, reason. But whatever the reason… "

"Sasuke, what are you trying to say? Get to the point please." Neji was hopeful, a little bit, he didn't want to hope too much and then fall off cloud nine.

"What I am trying to say is that, I am afraid that I want to stay, here with you and see where I fit in with your son. As long as there won't be any more surprises of this kind. No fiancées or wives or husbands. Just you and me."

"Sasuke… are you sure? I know this was all unplanned. But it happened and I regret everything but my son. I don't regret the end result that is my son. And I understand that it won't be easy and if at any point you feel like you have had enough, well… you know"

"Neji?"

"What is it?"

"You are talking too much, we can make this work, right? Just you and me, the way it was supposed to be in the start. Now shut up and come over here and kiss me." Neji felt warm all over at Sasuke's words.

_Just the two of us._ It was nice to hear that but,

"Erm.. Sasuke, we really need to talk about this further…"

"For god's sake Hyuuga, don't make me ask you again" Sasuke said in a warning tone.

"At your command, your highness." Neji said with a smile as he lay on his stomach and held himself up on his elbows. He leaned closer to Sasuke and kissed him upside down. Sasuke brought his arm up and wound it around Neji's neck. Then he glided his fingers on Neji's nape slowly; the way he remembered Neji liking it. The kiss was gentle, no aggressiveness in it or desperation.

When they pulled apart, Neji rested his forehead onto Sasuke's and breathed in the scent that was Sasuke. A mix of Sasuke's favourite cologne which was Prada Infusion d'Homme Cologne which smelt like expensive soap, a rich and subtle composition which stays close to the skin and makes a style statement with a lot of sophistication, very classy. The cologne made Neji want to cling to Sasuke. And the other scent which was just Sasuke; it drove him wild. God, he had missed that scent.

"I missed you." Neji said honestly. His eyes stung with unshed tears; he couldn't believe Sasuke had accepted them; him and his son.

"I know… me too. I missed you."

"Sasuke…" Neji sighed Sasuke's name. "I want to feel you"

"Then what are you doing? Come up here and let me kiss you properly." Sasuke was in the dominant mood; all he wanted was to make Neji feel everything he could give; to make him cry out his name like he used to when Sasuke touched him before. Now though, Sasuke didn't want to just touch him, Sasuke wanted Neji to feel him inside and for him to feel Neji wrap around him; to become one again; to lose their mind for just that moment where nothing else mattered and it was just the two of them as one. Sasuke wanted to confirm that this was really Neji; his Neji.

Sasuke shifted up the bed so that now his whole body was on the bed. His rested his head on the pillows as he waited for Neji to come to him. Neji crawled up to Sasuke until his face was above Sasuke's. He held himself up on both his hands caging Sasuke's head in.

He looked into Sasuke's eyes and raised an eyebrow. Sasuke shrugged his shoulders in a gesture that said, 'well? What are you waiting for?'

When Neji didn't say anything else but just stared at him questioningly, Sasuke voiced his question. "Well?" he said with a raised eyebrow.

Neji smirked then he said,

"Bossy much, aren't you?"

"Well _I am_ your boss"

"No, you are my Sasu-chan." His smirk widened as Sasuke narrowed his eyes and frowned.

"Neji" Sasuke said in warning.

"Well. What makes you think you can boss me around, I am older than you."

Sasuke chuckled as his eyes travelled from Neji's eyes, to his smirking lips, down his pale neck. Sasuke stared at Neji's loose tie and a million scenarios played in his head of how he could use that tie on Neji. Dismissing that thought for now, Sasuke's eyes travelled further down Neji's body. Then, his eyes met with Neji's bulge and Sasuke couldn't resist touching. With his right hand, Sasuke grabbed Neji. Neji gasped and his arms buckled.

Sasuke smirked up at Neji.

"_This _is what makes me think I can boss you around" to emphasis his statement, Sasuke squeezed Neji's growing bulge. For his troubles, Neji dropped his forehead onto his and licked Sasuke's lips in a moan.

"How come you are already hard? It was just one small kiss, Neji. Did you miss me that much?"

_Cocky bastard!_ Neji screamed in his head.

Well it was good to know that Sasuke's arrogant attitude hadn't changed; that wouldn't be Sasuke if he were all nice. But, this? this was new, even though Sasuke was dominant by nature, he had never taken charge in their relationship; it had always been Neji initiating things, and of course in bed, it had always been Neji, topping. This was different and Neji could admit that he kinder liked it. Okay fine, he loved it so sue him.

"Speak for yourself" Neji breathed out against Sasuke's lips. Not yet kissing him. Neji wanted to see how far Sasuke would go. Would he stay dominant all the way? Or would he stop the minute Neji took control.

Frankly, for once Neji didn't want to be in control; he wanted someone to take control, namely Sasuke. All Neji had done all his life was stay in control, take control, be in charge. No. not this time.

Sasuke seemed to understand him without words because the next thing Neji realised was that he was on his back with Sasuke on top of him, pressing into him. Sasuke held Neji's hands to his side with hands.

In one swift move, Sasuke had managed to locate himself between Neji's legs. Still holding Neji down, Sasuke lifted Neji's arms up and held both of Neji's wrists in his one hand. Neji didn't struggle, but there was some resistance.

Sasuke stared at Neji's glazed eyes; willing him to submit, Neji still resisted. Sasuke guessed it was something to do with his dominant nature unwilling to submit. That only fuelled Sasuke's need to make Neji submit to him.

As he was thinking of what to do Next to make sure that Neji wouldn't stop him or distract him, Sasuke remembered the tie. He almost giggled in glee like a little kid in a candy store. He hooked his fingers on Neji's tie and pulled it loose. Keeping his eyes to Neji's, Sasuke wound the tie around Neji's wrists, Neji struggle to get free.

Okay maybe he didn't like submitting after all.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" he was a little scared of Sasuke now, Sasuke had tied his wrists together above his head. But now he just stayed on his knees; he was just staring at Neji with lust glazed eyes. He looked like he was about to eat Neji whole.

"Urm Sasuke? Come on, you don't have to tie me up…" Neji crooned to Sasuke.

"No way, I like you like that. You stay like that until I'm finished with you"

" Sasuke, this is not funny, come on…"

"No" Sasuke responded firmly.

"Why do I have to be tied up?"

"Because you won't let yourself lose control that is why. This way, I can do whatever I want without you interfering."

"That is exactly what I am scared of."

"You are scared of me?"

"No…but… Sasuke we have never done this before"

"So you would rather we do it the way we always did? If that is what you want then we are going to do it your way. But can't you trust me a little?"

"Sasuke, that's not it. I do trust you, it's just that, you know… you know me, I like being in control and this, this is a little you know. But I am trying to go with it, but still…"

"Just let go okay, you will be fine, trust me. Just let me take control this once, we can go back to always after this once, okay, besides, I like you taking control of me" as he said that Sasuke ground his hard clothed cock against Neji's.

"Mmm… Sasuke, we don't have to do it only once…it's just that, this will be a first, in everything" Neji knew his face was red now.

"Oh." Was all Sasuke could say, when he realised what Neji meant.

"You have never tried touching yourself down here, have you?" Sasuke rubbed his fingers below Neji's balls close to his hole.

"No, and I haven't been with anyone, since that time with her. And I'm clean if you are wondering, I went to get tasted, Sasuke." Might as well get everything into the open.

"I'm clean too, I haven't been with anyone else since four years ago." Then something dawn on him.

They both stared at each other.

Sasuke was the first to speak.

"You don't happen to have condoms do you?"

"No. but that's not what you are asking is it?"

"No, well, does this mean, we can do it without like we used to?"

"Yeah, well, I have never bought condoms in my life, our first times had been with each other anyway."

"So you are okay with me taking control?" Neji realised that while they had been talking, Sasuke had been running his hand on his body, and he had relaxed into the touch. He wasn't as scared as he had been. Maybe he could let go…

**TBC**


End file.
